The Lights in Hell
by avengedgal
Summary: ***REWRITE***PLEASE REVIEW*** Damon is somehow transported back to 2010 in what he believes to be the Phoenix Stone. After experiencing the blessings and curses of his love for Elena, would Damon do it all again to be with her or will he find a new unexpected direction for his affections? (Daroline with hints of Delena)
1. Chapter 1

As Damon opened his piercing eyes and stared at the scene that unfolded before him, the pain suddenly hit and a sense of realisation and dread came over him; he had been here before. Damon had thought that he had escaped the phoenix stone, he had thought that his acceptance of love and loss for his mother had realised him, but that past few days had been a lie. The past few days had unfolded to teach him that no matter how much he craved it, no matter how many epiphanies he had, he would never escape what he truly was - a monster - not just literally in that he drank the blood of the living to feed his cursed existence, but morally too.

As the latest dawning crossed his mind, the sky flashed above him and the world seemed to spin as he lost consciousness.

Awaking again and opening his eyes, he saw that he was no longer greeted by the war torn forests of the south, but an all too familiar awakening of the senses – the boarding house at Mystic Falls; was he home?

Damon stood and surveyed the room around him. It all seemed familiar, but something was not quite right, something seemed off and Damon was intent to find out what was going on; was he still in the stone? Had he escaped? Where was everyone?

At that moment, the whole world around him seemed to cease and time stood still as a familiar figure descended the stairs of the Salvatore house. Damon couldn't seem to catch his breath and struggled to stay upright

 _'Elena?_ ' he questioned, his voice filled with joy, grief and disbelief.

Thoughts rushed through Damon's head; why was Elena here? How was she here? Where was Bonnie? Had something happened? How did he get out of the phoenix stone?

Suddenly, Damon's questions were evaded as Stefan strode down the stairs behind Elena and Damon's perception of everything slowed down as Stefan reached for Elena and clung tenderly to her waist as he pulled her towards him and their lips met. As their faces drew apart, their eyes locked and a smile spread across Elena's face.

 _"We're going to be late_ " Elena said to Stefan, pulled his hand into hers and leading him towards the front door.

Elena paid no attention to Damon as she strode past him and exited the boarding house.

 _"I'll be out in a minute_ " Stefan said, loosening Elena's grip on his hand and watching as she walked out of the front door.

 _"What the hell do you think you're playing at!_ " Damon demanded of Stefan.

" _Me?_ " Stefan asked angrily " _I was just about to ask you that? What would you have done if Jeremy wasn't wearing that ring? Huh_?"

 _"Ring?..."_ Damon's remark trailed off as he realised, this wasn't a new occurrence to him, he had been here before. He didn't know if he was still in the phoenix stone or had had a severe out of body experience for the past 6 years, but he was in 2010. Elena was still human and Elena was in love with Stefan. Fear, dread and undeniable pain filled Damon as he stormed up the stairs and left Stefan standing unbelieving and disappointed at the front door.


	2. Chapter 2 - Changing

Damon ran his hands along the smooth cotton sheet that adorned his familiar bed. As much as he was confused as to what was going on, it was nice to be in familiar surroundings; to be in his home before it had been overrun by heretic miscreants and to see Elena – Elena was alive, Elena was here – feelings of excitement ran through Damon's body as he pondered his next plan of action. How had he made Elena fall in love with him, how could he make her his again. Damon got lost in his own thoughts as he made a realisation; could he really do that to Stefan all over again, knowing now what he knew and the bond that he had now formed with his younger brother? Furthermore, if Elena hadn't loved Damon, if she had been with Stefan – would she have ended up where she was in his reality?...Reality, that was exactly the point, this wasn't reality, this was that damned stone messing with his head…..or was it…..was it a second chance? If it was the stone, surely living in this dream world was better than the world that he had exited, a world without Elena. His choice was clear, either live out the life that he had already lived and end up at the same crossroads; alone and bitter with Elena in a casket or try and do things differently.

Damon, leant back against the cool wood of the bed and thought, it was 2010, what could he different to change things, to save Elena. Then he realised, Klaus, this had been where it had all started to unfold in Mystic Falls and now that Damon knew, he could change that. He knew about Klaus and the Original family and Katharine, he knew all of her devilish and cruel plans. With his knowledge of the future and the events about to unfold, he could do things different, different for Elena, he could truly be the better man that he wanted to be for her, he could do the right thing, and he could save people for her. All of the thoughts were rushing through Damon's head at once as he tried to pinpoint exactly where he was in his timeline. He figured that if Stefan had just found out about him snapping Jeremy's neck that would mean that the carnival was tonight and that would mean…as Damon's mind added up the events that would surely unfold, he let out one exasperated word as he realised what would happen next here in 2010….. " _Blondie_ "…

Damon darted down the stairs, feeling the air speed past his cool skin as he picked up speed. He had to get to the hospital. He had fed Caroline his blood and he was not sure if it was too late, if Katharine had already got there then that would mean that it was too late.

Damon sped through the doors of the hospital, moving too quickly to be noticed by the hospital staff that milled about him, checking unknowing patient's vitals and going about their mundane lives. As he reached the hospital room, he stopped outside the door and took a deep breath and felt the cool metal of the handle press into his palm; this was it, this was the moment that he would start changing things, despite what happened to him, Elena would be alive and Elena would be happy, he would make sure of it.

Sunlight streamed through the hospital window but the window nearest to Caroline was darkened by shade as she lay almost lifeless propped up only by cheap and scratchy hospital issued pillows. She looked through the darkness with squinted eyes and confusion crossed her face

"Damon?" She asked "Damon, is that you?"

" _It's me Blondie_ " Damon replied. A ball of disappointment settled in the pit of his stomach as he surveyed the images in front of him in the room. As he took in Caroline's bloodshot eyes and the agitation that filled her body as she tried to focus on something, anything that she could. Transition made you feel both exhausted and full of energy all at once and it was clear that Caroline did not know what to do with herself.

Damon approached the bed and sat down on the cool, crisp linen. He reached for Caroline's hand and felt her clammy, cold skin as he placed his hand on hers, noting how delicate it looked against his large grip.

Caroline quickly pulled away.

" _Damon_?" she questioned again " _What's going on? What are you doing here? What's wrong with you, you don't seem like…you_?"

" _I'm so sorry that I was too late, Caroline_ " Damon said, his disappointment dripping in his tone

" _Too late for what?_ " Caroline asked, confusion and concern passing over her pale face

 _"I know that Katharine was here_ " Damon said " _I know what she did and you should know that you don't have to do what she wants, we, me and Stefan, we can help. We can help you through this, you don't have to be her puppy dog_ "

 _"Damon"_ Caroline all but whispered _"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm so confused, I don't know what's going on, I just know that I feel like crap and I'm HUNGRY"_ she exaggerated the final word, trying to demonstrate to Damon just how she felt. She had never felt hunger like she felt right now, a feeling that she felt that she would never sate.

" _What's happening to me?_ " Caroline said, trying to fight back the tears that were now filling her eyes and starting to stream down her face, splashing onto Damon's grip, which still help tight to her hand.

 _"Katherine came to see you last night"_ Damon explained _"You took a turn for the worse after the accident and I fed you my blood to make you better but Katherine killed you and now you're in transition_ " Damon explained

 _"Transition, into what?"_ Caroline questioned

 _"into a vampire"_ Damon answered

Caroline's face filled with horror as she took in what Damon was telling her. She had no idea what she had to do next, what she should do next, she just knew that if she didn't eat something soon, she felt that she would die

 _"The choice is yours Caroline"_ Damon said " _You can either feed and complete the transition or you could not feed and just let your body die_ , _it's completely up to you"_ Damon explained. As he finished what he was saying, he quickly ran into the room adjacent to Caroline's hospital room, again, too quickly for any mortal eye to comprehend what was going on. Damon snatched the first blood bag that he could find from the unattended hospital cart that sat in the room and headed back to Caroline.

Caroline's eyes widened as Damon came back into the room with the blood bag in his hand – she didn't know why, but something in her mind was telling her that she wanted what was in that bag, that she NEEDED what was in that bag. She subconsciously made her choice and she lept forward and grabbed the bag from Damon's hands and tore it open, letting the cold, thick liquid run down her throat. As she did so, ever cell in her body felt like it was on fire, but in a good way, an intense burning as if a firework were going off in her veins, she liked it and she needed more. She continued to drain the bag as Damon sat down next to her. As the liquid started to sate her thirst, memories that she did not know as her own started to flood into her mind - memories of things that she didn't remember doing. Like handing Damon a compass and Damon and his piercing teeth ripping into her neck; conversations that they had had that she had no recollection of.

"Damon" she stammered his name and the memories flooded back into her mind and emotions started to overcome her. She was furious with him, how could he have done that to her, how could he have treated her like that. But before she could launch at him and deliver the message that she was eager to give from Katherine, she looked into his ice blue eyes and something was different. This was not the Damon in those new memories, the cruel and calculated killer that wanted nothing or no one unless it was for his own benefit, this Damon's eyes were filled with concern and regret for what Caroline was going through, this Damon seemed kinder, more…..human.

"How are you?" He asked, concerned

"Why should you care!..." Caroline started "I remember everything"

Realisation crossed Damon's face and an all too familiar smirk registered across his face as one side of his mouth drew up. "Oh yeah" Damon chuckled " _Whoops, forgot how much of a tool of was back then_ ".

 _"Back then?"_ Caroline asked, confused. _"What on earth are you talking about!? What is up with you?!"_

 _"Whole new world perspective_ " Damon answered as he took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around Caroline shoulders.

"Now that is going to sting", Damon said pointing up at the stream of sunlight that was igniting the corner of the room. "We need to get you to Bon-Bon and get you a daylight ring".

Caroline stepped back and looked at Damon.

"Seriously, Damon, what is going on? Why are you doing this?" Caroline asked

"Didn't you get the memo?" Damon teased "I'm a changed man". With that Damon placed his strong hands on Caroline's shoulders and directed her towards the door, taking care to confine her to the shadows and ensure that she was not burned by the sun's rays. Damon mulled over his next plan of action, as they climbed into the blacked out car in the hospital's underground car park and what he needed to do next to ensure that Elena was safe and happy, with or without him.


	3. Chapter 3 - Thinking of You

After a very quiet and somewhat awkward car journey back to the Salvatore Boarding house, Damon had left Caroline to her own devices in the parlor room whilst he had headed up to his bedroom, intent on working out a plan to draw Katherine into the open and somehow find a different route for all of this moonstone business.

Damon's memories faded back to his first experience of this point in his timeline; how cruel he had been to Caroline and a sense of regret and remorse filled him as he thought about how lost and confused she must feel at this moment in time. A triumphant thought then popped into Damon's mind as a smirk spread across his face; Liz, she was still here, the cancer hadn't taken her yet – was there some way the he could convince her to get her head looked out, maybe stop this thing before it reached its climax as it had back in his world. Either way, he could see her, he could talk to her.

Roaming back to the matter at hand, Damon continued to recollect the unfolding of time of how Klaus had come to town and completely turned everything upside down. His mistake the first time around had been being too hasty and not thinking things through, no, this time he needed to put on his hero hair and consider things in the long haul. There was no way that Klaus was going to give up becoming an all-powerful hybrid but this time Damon had a way around, he knew that if Klaus killed Elena, he would not have the doppelganger blood to create and sire his hybrid line and therefore, he needed to convince Klaus to unlock the curse without killing Jenna. If he didn't kill Klaus' already selected wolf and vamp, well, that would save Jenna – in the end, foresight created a win-win situation but there were a few links in the puzzle that he needed to solve first – he needed to find Katherine and he needed to find Klaus. Perhaps the two came hand in hand; after all, Klaus was constantly tailing Katherine's every move, eager to take revenge on her for her part in his inability to break his curse and surely they could use her to lure Klaus in. He just needed to find her.

Damon's thoughts were interrupted by a break in the light that streamed in from the hallway and looked up to see Caroline's familiar figure looking helplessly at him. Damon sat up and put aside the pad that he had been mindlessly scrawling his plans on.

" _Care Bear, what's up_? Damon asked

Caroline was taken aback by the term of endearment that Damon had addressed her with but pushed this aside; he had been acting odd just about all day and as hard as she tried, she couldn't seem to get the normal asshole Damon to surface from this new, more gentle and altogether better Damon.

Caroline sighed _"I ran out of blood"_ a blush came across Caroline's pale cheeks as she looked nervously at the ground and continued _"and I'm still hungry"_.

Damon rose from the bed and crossed the room to Caroline and took her by the arm _"not a problem, Vampire Barbie_ " he quipped _"we keep a full stock down in the basement, here I'll show you"._

Caroline, both eagerly and nervously, followed Damon down into the dark and cold cellar of the Salvatore house, anxious to try and satisfy her constant craving for blood; would this hunger ever pass.

As if reading her thoughts, Damon looked back up at her as they descended the stairs _"Don't worry Blondie_ " he reassured her _"the hunger gets better, well…it gets easier to control_ ".

Caroline smiled nervously at Damon. Should she be suspicious, what was he up to? He just wasn't acting like himself at all. Why was he helping her through this? Why wasn't he out causing trouble for Elena like he usually did?

Caroline's thoughts were interrupted as Damon placed a hefty pile of blood bags in her arms and she was nearly thrown off balance as he caught hold of her at super human speed and brought her back into a safe standing position.

" _Oh_ " he exclaimed, turning back towards the chest filled with blood _"I think that we have some B positive in here"_ he said rummaging through the bags and checking the labels. He dropped it on top of the already large pile and added _"I think that you will like this one"_.

Caroline headed back into the parlor room of the house which was draped in shadow as Damon had pulled the heavy velvet drapes across the window in order to shield her from the burning sun.

 _"How long until sundown"_ Caroline asked anxiously

 _"Not long now"_ Damon said reassuringly " _Why am I boring you?!"_ He quipped as he shoved Caroline playfully from behind as he proceeded to the parlor room with her. Caroline giggled _"of course not"_ she said smiling.

Caroline and Damon's light-hearted mood was interrupted by the opening of the door to the Salvatore House. Stefan stood shocked as he took in the scene before him. Caroline stood shocked like a deer in the headlights with arms packed full of blood bags as Damon stood behind her, scanning the room looking concerned.

Caroline shuffled backwards, concerned at Stefan's disapproving and stern reaction to his brother, clearly interpreting it as meant for her.

Stefan surveyed the scene as the blood bag hit the floor and burst open, spurting thick red liquid across the dark wooden floor. Caroline looked down at the spill and felt her hunger become uncontrollable as she surveyed the liquid running into the splits and edges of the natural wood. He felt the veins in her face begin to pulsate as her eyes turned blood red and black lines filled her face, urging her to reach towards the blood and to drink.

As Caroline's face showed its new vampiric form, Elena strode into behind Stefan and was stopped in her tracks by the vision of one of her childhood friends transformed into a creature.

Stefan felt rage burn in the pit of his stomach as he flew towards his brother. He grabbed Damon and threw him against the wall, pinning him by his throat. To his surprise, Damon did not resist. Stefan was confounded, he had not thought this through and his anger had taken over him but Damon was much stronger than him, more powerful on his diet of human blood, a kind of strength that Stefan did not possess on a diet of animal blood alone, why wasn't Damon fighting back, why was he letting Stefan do this?

As Stefan ran through the question in his head regarding his brother, he felt an unfamiliar strong grip pull him from behind. He turned and was greeted by Caroline, her face still showed her true form as adrenaline seeped through her in her urge to protect Damon. She knew that Stefan had assumed that Damon had done this to her, she couldn't let him hurt Damon for something that he hadn't done.

 _"Damon didn't do this"_ Caroline said bluntly to Stefan as she gestured up and down at her own form _"It was Katherine"._ Caroline looked across the room to Elena as she explained herself. _"Damon has been…..helping me"_ she finished, unsure of what else to say to explain the situation. She was as confused about the situation as Stefan and Elena, but she needed to make sure that Stefan didn't hurt Damon for this. She had seen a new side of him today and she didn't want the constant battles that he fought with Stefan to bring out the worst in him again.

Stefan released his grip on Damon's throat as Damon stepped away from the wall and dusted himself down, straightening his dark shirt across his muscular torso. He looked across at Elena and contemplated how much he had missed her and how much of a relief and a blessing it was to see her like this, so alive and so….safe.

Stefan surveyed Damon and the way that he watched Elena. He did not like the way that Damon looked at her, but he did like that way that Elena seemed to bring out the Damon that he had known in Mystic Falls in 1864, a Damon full of humanity and hope. He wondered what had come across Damon and why he was helping Caroline through this and how had he known to go to the hospital, some things just were not adding up, but he didn't see sense in stopping this new, better version of his older brother, a more familiar version to him but a version all to alien to people that had not known him in his mortal life.

Caroline raced across the room to help Damon and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward her.

 _"Come here"_ Caroline said, gesturing towards the couch _"Are you okay?"_ she asked

 _"I've had worse"_ Damon smiled.

Elena entered the sitting room and sat down opposite Damon. She looked sternly at him, as if she were reaching and judging his very soul. Damon was all too familiar with that look, he often got it when he had done something that Elena really did not approve of…..such as snapping her brother's neck.

 _"Talking to me now?"_ Damon joked with a weak smile as he rubbed the point of his neck where his brother had grabbed in

 _"Only through necessity"_ Elena said, holding her stern look _"What's going on?"_ she asked, gesturing towards Caroline

 _"I think Blondie covered it all"_ Damon said

 _"Why would Katherine turn Caroline?"_ Elena asked puzzled

Damon thought back. Why had Katherine needed to turn Caroline into a vampire, aside from being the cruel and cold person she was, there was normal a reason for her actions, however meager a reason it was. He remembered.

" _She needs someone on the inside"_ Damon said _"To spy on you and lover boy"_ He added, gesturing across the room at Stefan.

Stefan began a barrage of questions, most of which were pointless and Damon did not know nor want to know the answer to.

 _"Look"_ Damon interjected _"We've got work to do, we need to find Katherine"_

 _"Why on earth would we want to FIND Katherine"_ Stefan asked

 _"She can lead us to Klaus"_ Damon answered

" _Who is Klaus?"_ Elena asked

Damon knew that he had his work cut out for him and thought how best to cliff note the version of events that he knew would unfold. But as he began to attempt to explain of Klaus and his curse and need to unlock his hybrid self, he found his eyes wondering across the room as he watched concerned at how Caroline was dealing with things. How was she feeling now that she had transitioned into a vampire? He had noticed a strength and a calmness in her that he had always know was there, but he had never appreciated just how easily she had adapted to such a momentous change in her life, or lack thereof. It was remarkable. Damon shook his head, unable to comprehend what was going on. Elena was here with him, alive…..why couldn't he stop thinking about Caroline.


	4. Chapter 4 - Let Her Go

Elena sat rigidly on the couch in the Salvatores' parlor room with Stefan's hand intertwined in hers. She surveyed as Damon's eyes drifted across the room and landed on Caroline and a look of concern crossed through his deep blue eyes. Seeing this confused Elena. This was the man who yesterday had snapped her little brother's neck without a second thought over a kiss but now he seemed different; his demeanor was calmer...kinder and he seemed so much more in touch with his humanity. Elena was intrigued by the change and watched these new emotions unfold in his face with an undeniable but unaccountable affection for Stefan's elder brother.

Elena shook her head, trying to focus on the matter at hand and to comprehend what Damon was trying to tell them. As the room came back into focus, Damon's eyes turned back towards her. As his eyes again met hers, a look of sadness and loss registered and Elena wondered why he kept looking at her like that, was he really that devastated that she had rejected his advances?

Caroline strode across the room, blood bag in hand, and sat down next to Damon. Damon shuffled down the couch to make room and smiled at Caroline.

 _"Maybe we should slow down a bit there, ey Blondie?_ " Damon teased

A blush filled Caroline's pale cheeks as she put the bag down on the table in front of her.

 _"Sorry"_ Caroline said to Damon _"I'm just REALLY hungry"_

 _"I know_ " Damon said, placing a reassuring hand on Caroline's shoulder _"It'll get better soon; but until then, the rest of us have got to eat too_ "

Damon smirked and Caroline smiled back. Stefan watched the scene unfold with a degree of caution. He wondered why Damon would possibly be helping Caroline in her transition. It wasn't like him at all and Stefan wondered what the end game was and the reason for this newly discovered side to Damon. He seemed to be so much more like the Damon that he had known growing up on the grand Salvatore Estate back in Virginia, before Katherine had turned up in town and thrown their lives upside down; in fact, she had taken their lives completely and the loss of her had turned Damon into the cold, heartless killer that he had become; not a shadow of the young man that he had once been had shown itself in over a century – until now.

Damon sat forward in his seat. _"The whole Klaus story is a bit fuzzy to me at the moment_ " Damon explained _"But I know someone that will be able to help us. There is a woman named Rose, she knew Katherine back in the day_ "

Stefan quickly interrupted Damon _"If she knew Katherine, I'm not sure that we want to know her_ " he said disapprovingly

Damon had expected that changing the events of history would be tricky, but had forgotten about his brother and the way he was back in 2010. This Stefan didn't have the trust for his brother that Stefan did back in reality and Damon knew that he had his job cut out for him in earning that back from him. Damon glanced across at Elena, who was watching him intently waiting for his story to unfold. God, how he wished that he could cross that room and kiss her, but he knew that this was not his Elena and she didn't love him yet. He also knew that if she did grow to love him, the way that she had once, eventually, by hook or by crook, she would end up dead, turned, cursed or unhappy; he had a real talent for destroying everything that he loved and his love for Elena was deeper than anything that he had ever known. No - he didn't want that for Elena; he wanted her to be safe and he wanted her to be happy so this time around, he would be selfless and he would keep his distance and let her live her life. He knew that Stefan loved her fiercely and that Stefan would always keep her safe; Stefan was better for her than Damon had ever been and if he wanted her life to take a different course, he had to make sure that he was not as much as a fundamental part of it as he had once been. He wondered if his Elena would be proud of him for making this decision and letting her go; did this decision mean that he was living up to her expectations of doing the right thing and being a better man?

Damon's thoughts came back to the story at hand as he thought back to Rose. Another person that he had been given the opportunity to save, he could ever save her from the grief of losing Trevor if they got to the house before Elijah arrived. Damon knew that they had to put things in motion whilst time was on their side.

"We need to get moving" Damon said as he started to get himself to his feet

"The Carnival is tonight" Caroline said hopefully "Do you think I could still go?" She asked

Damon thought back to the first time that the Carnival had occurred and how Caroline had been tortured by the fact that she had ripped out Carter's throat, unable to control her thirst. Damon knew that this time around, her thirst had been somewhat sated by a undeniably large amount of blood bags, however, he couldn't risk taking her back there and putting her through that again, not if he could avoid it. Damon thought quickly for a resolution.

"Actually, I was hoping that you could come and help me out" Damon lied "See if those new vamp skills will come in handy"

Caroline smiled as the gesture that she could somehow be helpful to Damon, even in the state that she felt at that moment in time.

"The Incredibly handsome Damon Salvatore with his Vampire Barbie save the day" Damon teased, offered Caroline his hand as she also got to her feet.

Stefan watched the scene unfold with a glint of hope; he wasn't sure what was happened to his brother, but if this truly was a change in him then he had no intent of making it cease. He would be happy to have back the real Damon after all of these years and the way that he was acting with Caroline was much like the way that he would constantly flirt with the young ladies of Mystic Falls whilst on leave from the Civil War back in 1864. There as a look of happiness in his eyes, but also one of grief and Stefan wondered what had happened; had everything that happened with Elena last night set off some sort of light switch in Damon's twisted head and caused him to re-evaluate or was it Caroline's change that was influencing it. Either way, the more he saw of it, the more Stefan wanted his brother to stay this way; this was a brother he would gladly share eternity with.

" _Elena and I will go to the Carnival and see if we can draw out Katherine_ " Stefan suggested

 _"Sounds like a plan"_ Damon said with a smirk

 _"Perhaps we could meet them there afterwards"_ Caroline asked Damon

 _"Perhaps"_ Damon lied

Damon and Caroline climbed into Damon's blue mustang and Damon felt calmed by the familiar judder as he turned the key and the car burst into life. Gosh, he had missed this car. It had comforted him whilst he had been stuck on the other side with Bonnie but once he had returned to the land of the living it was gone again, destroyed when he had driven it into the Grill to destroy the travelers that had taken over Mystic Falls; with Elena holding his hand the whole time – another example of the stupid and reckless things that Elena did as a result of her love for him.

Elena shifted the car into gear and headed down the familiar path that led away from the boarding house, recalling the way to the house that Rose and Trevor were hauled up in.

As Damon and Caroline climbed the steps that led to the porch of the house, Damon sensed that something was wrong; something was off and he could not put his finger on what it was. There is no way that Rose and Trevor could know that he was coming, he was a couple of weeks ahead of their plans at least or so he thought. As the thoughts ran through Damon's head and he tried to work out what was going on, the wind around him changed as a figure familiar figure flashed in front of his eyes and before he could register that this was Rose and explain anything to her; she had her arms around Caroline's neck and held her head at an angle, ready to snap her neck at any moment. As much as Damon knew that this wouldn't kill Caroline, he knew that this was the first time that she would experience it; it was scary and besides, it hurt like a bitch!

 _"Wait"_ Damon pleased _"We're here to help"_

 _"Help"_ questioned Rose, never loosening her grip on Caroline _"Who are you and what do you want?"_

Damon struggled to find answers amidst his panic. _"We work for Elijah"_ he lied _"He's heard that you are on track to finding the doppleganger and he is willing to negotiate a truce"_

Rose quickly released Caroline, falsely believing her to be one of Elijah's henchmen.

 _"We are very close to finding her_ " Rose said

 _"Thing is"_ Damon interjected _"We lost track of old Elijah…..we were tracked down by some old pals and kind of lost track of the old guy_ " Damon said charmingly _"Any ideas of how we might track down an original such as himself"_

Rose stepped back in suspicion and alarm. She had released the blonde and she was now tucked safely behind the arm of this handsome stranger and she was finding it hard to believe that one of Elijah's men would not know his whereabouts.

 _"I fail to believe that someone who works for an original would not know where to find him_ " Rose said angrily

 _"Well that's true"_ Damon admitted, letting out an exasperated smile but the grin remained on his face _"busted"_ he chuckled. _"But we do need to find him_ " Damon continued " _you see, we know where the doppelganger is"_ Damon whispered tauntingly behind his hand.

 _"You know where she is"_ Rose asked gleefully

 _"Yeah, she shacked up with my little brother_ _as it happens"_ Damon teased

 _"Where?"_ Rose asked quickly

 _"Uh, uh, uh"_ Damon said shaking his finger at Rose _"First, we need to know where Elijah is_ "

 _"No-one knows where Elijah is"_ Rose said

 _"But your buddy Carter does, doesn't he?"_ Damon stated

 _"How did you…?"_

 _"Less questions please"_ Damon interjected _"Just tell me where to find him"_

 _"If you find Elijah and lead him to the doppelganger, then we have no hope of…"_ Rose began

 _"He will kill Trevor anyway"_ Damon finished

A look of horror crossed Rose's face and she stumbled as she began to try to find the words to refute this but as Damon stepped closer she realised that he was telling the truth and for some reason, she believed him.

 _"I'm sorry"_ Damon said softly _"Elijah will not forgive Trevor for the betrayal of his brother, your only option is to keep running – I'm giving you a head start_ " and with that Rose pulled a crumpled business card from the pocket of her worn jeans and handed it to Damon. She re-entered the house and Damon could hear the sounds of her and Trevor collecting their things, preparing to recommence their eternity on the run, but at least they were together and Rose was alive and that is something that Damon could account for.

 _"Are you okay?"_ Damon turned to Caroline and touched her shoulders comfortingly and assessing her for any signs of damage from her encounter with Rose. Caroline stood still, obviously still shocked at what had just happened and the danger that she had been in.

 _"We can go to the carnival now?"_ Caroline persisted

 _"No"_ Damon said angrily. As much as he had a new found fondness for Caroline, gosh she could be tiring and relentless when she wanted something.

Caroline felt anger rising in her too, her emotions heightened by the change in her since she had transitioned. _"Why not!?"_ She demanded, pushed her slight hands into Damon strong chest. Damon stumbled backwards and a look of rage crossed his face. He launched towards Caroline, the force of his body pinning her again the walls of the house. A look of anger and defiance remained on Caroline's face as she struggled to break free, but Damon had over a century on her and even with her new found strength, she could not escape his grip.

 _"I'm doing this to help you!I_ Damon said through gritted teeth

 _"Why?!"_ Caroline screamed at Damon " _I got my memories back Damon! No need to keep up pretenses, I know that you only used me to compel me and get me to do your dirty work_ "

Damon held Caroline but loosened his grip as a look of hurt crossed his face.

 _"No….Caroline…."_ He tried to explain but couldn't find the words _"I'm just trying to keep you from doing something that is going to torture you"_ He explained _"You think you're in control but you're not"_ he continued

 _"How do you know!?"_ Caroline said, the anger starting to cool from her tone _"Just let me try and be as normal as I can be after this"_ she said, tears starting to form in her eyes _"please, Damon, I just want my old life back"._ Caroline began to sob and Damon stepped back, helping her to keep her balance on her feet as he wrapped his arms around her. He didn't know what to do, he didn't want to upset Caroline but he didn't want her to go to that carnival either.

Damon pondered that he should just let Caroline go; why did he care anyway? He had more important things to worry about than whether Caroline did something that she would regret; he should just let her make her mistakes and deal with them herself. But the voice in the back of his head urged him to persist and not to let her go; after all, that night at the carnival had had a lasting effect on Elena too, seeing her friend like that, surely he would be saving Elena from that too. But Damon knew that he was lying to himself that this was for Elena, it was not, it was for Caroline.

Damon stepped away from Caroline and looked down into her blue eyes.

 _"Stop with the crying_ " Damon said, feigning impatience and wiping a stray tear from Caroline's pale cheeks _"I know that you want to me normal Caroline, I do, but I'm sorry kiddo, you can't be, this"_ Damon said, gesturing between the two of them _"It's kind of a permanent thing"_

" _I'm sorry"_ Caroline said, wiping her face _"I don't even know why I'm crying….or why I got so angry, everything is just a little…"_

" _Intense…?"_ Damon finished

Caroline nodded helplessly, starting to chuckle

 _"Yeah, another vamp thing…..everything is….heightened"_ Damon explained

 _"Great, so I'm going to be an emotional wreck for eternity!"_ Caroline complained

" _No"_ Damon said " _You'll get a hang of it, you're self-control will be better than anyone's…I have a feeling"_ Damon saved

 _"What is up with you?"_ Caroline said softly " _I know that you will dart it off with some awkward joke of sexual innuendo but you're different_ " Caroline said _"What is going on?"_ she insisted

 _"I've just…..changed"_ Damon admitted

 _"Why?"_ Caroline asked _"What happened to you? Yesterday you're snapping people's necks like twigs with no remorse and today you're helping me with something that isn't even your fault and the way that you were looking at Elena this morning ….. there was something there, something different, like you'd….."_

" _Let her go"_ Damon admitted, not knowing why he was telling Caroline this

 _"Let her go?"_ Caroline questioned

 _"Yeah"_ Damon said sadly _"as much as it KILLS me"_ he emphasised and Caroline could feel the pain in his voice _"she'd be better off without me, she'd is safer with Stefan and she'll be happier"_

 _"You don't know that"_ Caroline said softly, stepping towards Damon and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

 _"Everyone's better off without me Care"_ Damon said, the pain remaining in his voice _"But not this time"_ he said, a sense of realisation replacing the pain in his voice as his voice picked up speed and information began reeling out of his mouth _"this time's going to be different, this time round ….oh, I don't know! I'm different so why do I feel like making the same mistakes all over again, I need a…..I don't know…..a distraction!"_ Damon ranted 

Damon looked across at a confused Caroline. He had never really looked this intently at Caroline, always having eyes only for Elena but as he surveyed the blush in her pale cheeks and the intensity in her blue eyes, it was hard to deny that she was beautiful.

Caroline stood uneasy in front of Damon; waiting for him to speak. She tried to hold her breath uncomfortably in the silence. It was strange that she felt so uncomfortable with Damon; after all it was not like they didn't already know each other, intimately. But this was a different Damon and though she could admit that she had always wanted (and had had) him physically, this new side to him made him all the more desirable. The more she thought about it, the more she held her breath, trying hard not to show her thoughts

Damon had been trying so hard to fix everything since he'd got back to this timeline of Mystic Falls and his mind was reeling and overworked, he was right he did need a distraction and as he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest and as much as Caroline was trying to hide it, he knew that she wanted him.

 _"As good a distraction as any"_ Damon said as he lent forward into Caroline and their lips met. Caroline feel her heightened senses take over as she responded to the kiss fiercely. Damon pressed his body against hers and Caroline again found herself pinned against the wall of the house, this time in an entirely different turn of events.

Caroline, for the briefest of moments, gave into her desires and enjoyed the feeling of Damon's roaming hands and the feeling of his warm body pressed against hers but pulled away as she thought of Matt. Yes, she was a vampire now, but that didn't mean that she had to be a cheater!

Damon felt Caroline pull away from him and stepped back with an unexpected sense of relief. He had let the moment take him, but he wasn't here to get laid, he was here to make things right and to make sure that Elena was happy and safe and that didn't involve a fumble on the porch with Vampire Barbie – though it had helped to clear his mind. He pulled away from Caroline and straightened himself out, regaining his composure.

 _"_ _Sorry"_ Damon he said _"Not that you seemed to mind"_ he added teasingly _"like I said…heightened"_ He finished, clearing his throat

 _"Tell me about it"_ Caroline said, chuckling and mimicking Damon, straightening out her clothes and clearing her throat _._ _"We should…."_ _She trailed off awkwardly_

 _"oh….oh….yeah_ _"_ Damon said, pointing towards the car _"We should probably go see this Carter guy_ _"_ he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the card that Rose had given to him.

Caroline could sense the awkwardness between them, but she didn't want things to be weird, Damon had been so helpful and such a gentleman to her….up until now and she liked the way that things had been between them.

 _"Just….friends"_ she said holding her hand out to Damon.

 _"Yeah…..friends"_ Damon responded, smiling at Caroline and looking across at her hand _"perhaps not that formal though, we have, you know"_ Damon clicked his tongue between his teeth and raised his eyebrows suggestively

Caroline blushed _"_ _Let's go"_ she said laughingly and they both headed back to Damon's blue Mustang with Damon keen to find the next piece of the puzzle.


	5. Chapter 5 - Collateral Damage

As Damon's hands gripped the familiar cool leather of his blue Mustang and he felt the breeze pass his skin, he looked over at Caroline who had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. He contemplated what he had been thinking; yes, Caroline was beautiful, he had never denied that, but she was not exactly his type and in reality she was with Stefan; perhaps that was it, perhaps he was fundamentally wired to live out that promise that he had made in 1864 and to take every last ounce of happiness from his little brother, perhaps he was fundamentally and at his core, a bad person. He had thought that Elena had changed him, was he regressing back to what he was before her? Damon shook his head, casting the thought from his mind, he was being ridiculous he thought to himself; he had got carried away in a moment and so had Caroline.

Damon looked across the car at Caroline, the more that he thought about things, the angrier he got with himself. Just because he had decided to let Elena go in order for her to be happy, that didn't mean that he had to jump to the nearest available ship – in fact, she wasn't even available! Damon cursed himself - and Caroline. After all, he was supposed to be the bad person, he was used to the heartless-vampire-with-no regard-for-anyone-but-himself routine and it was a badge that he had worn for a long time, but what was Caroline's excuse? Miss Goody-Two-Shoes had hardly pulled away from him at lightning speed!

Damon's eyes snapped back onto the road as Caroline roused and sat up in her seat. Caroline looked across the car at Damon and smiled. Damon's eyes remained fixed on the dark concrete that stretched in front of them as they approached the Salvatores' house. The two drove in silence and the sun had gone down by the time that the wheels hit the gravel of the house's driveway and came to a stop.

Without any regard to Caroline, Damon climbed out and forcibly slammed the car door shut behind him and stormed towards the front door.

Damon entered the parlour room and sat down on the stiff velvet couch and put his head in his hands. He felt the air change around him and smelled the familiar smell of sweet violets; Elena's perfume. His body tensed but he did not raise his head. At that moment, Damon wanted to throw caution to the wind. To look into Elena's eyes and tell her everything; perhaps they had been given another chance; perhaps he was interpreting this all wrong. But as he contemplated this, a vision cast in front of his closed eyes, a vision of Elena's face as flames danced around it and her skin began to singe and crackle under the intense heat. Damon was thankful that it was his madness that had made him see those things, but it was still a foretelling of what he was capable of, of how dangerous he was.

Damon sighed; his hands still remained unmoving in front of his face. Perhaps if he were to rip his own heart out, plunge a stake into his own chest, he could escape this wretched re-run and return to Mystic Falls in 2016 but as this contemplation occurred to him, he realised that even back then in 2016, Elena was trapped in a coffin, unlikely to wake up for at least 6 decades and by then, what would Damon have become, would she still love him? No, reality of not, at least here Damon could live a life with Elena in it, whether or not it was WITH her.

Elena was beginning to grow concerned with Damon's lack of movement, usually by now he would have looked up and made some quick-witted remark or an inappropriate innuendo, but he just sat there, unmoving, with his head in his hands and she wondered what he could possibly be thinking about.

Damon inhaled deeply, relishing in the familiar smell that catapulted so many happy memories through his mind, but also dark and painful ones. He looked up at Elena and smiled and to his surprise, she smiled back.

 _"You really need to work on this whole being mad at me thing"_ he teased

Elena smirked sarcastically _"Believe me, I'm trying"_ she said

Elena sat down opposite Damon and curled her feet underneath her. _"So, what happened?"_ she asked

 _"What do you mean, what happened?"_ Damon repeated, alarmed. Did Elena somehow know what had happened between him and Caroline?

 _"Did you find Rose?"_ Elena said confused _"What did you think I meant?"_ she asked suspiciously

Caroline entered the room with a scowl on her face and sat down next to Damon _"Thanks for getting the door for me"_ she said angrily to Damon

 _"No problem"_ Damon said with a grin _"I was just telling Elena here that the only thing that we got from that house is this business card"_ he said holding the card into Elena's view _"Nothing else, isn't that right, Blondie?"_

Caroline sat rigid in her chair; she knew that she had just as much to lose, if not more, by Elena finding out what had happened. _"That's right"_ she agreed _"That's it, nothing else"_ she said in a quick sing-song voice.

 _"OOOOKKKAAY"_ Elena said, trailing off _"So what is on the card?"_ she finished

 _"Just a number of a friend of Rose's who may be able to help us get in contact with Klaus or at least get his attention. Once Klaus knows that Katherine is in town, I'm hoping that he will come out into the open and we can talk"_ Damon said

 _"Talk, why would you want to talk to him?"_ Elena said _"Isn't he like a big-bad, shouldn't we be trying to do more to him that talk?"_

 _"Can't"_ Damon stated bluntly _"Sire line and all that, Klaus goes and we're all kaput"_ Damon emphasised the fact by sliding his finger across his neck.

 _"How do you know all of this?"_ Elena asked suspiciously

 _"I've been around"_ Damon answered with a wink as he got to his feet and headed towards the basement; today had been a long day and he was hungry.

Damon lifted the heavy metal lid of the chest cooler and took in the limited supply of blood that was left; Caroline really had had a good go at this stuff.

 _"It's time to spill"_

Damon spun as he heard Caroline's voice echo as she turned the corner and headed towards him.

Damon grinned _"I have no idea what you talking about"_ he cooed innocently

 _"Something is up with you, Damon"_ Caroline started _"First, you help me and I thought maybe it was to get into Elena's good books, but then you say that you want to 'let her go' and then THAT happens"_ Caroline emphasised the word and rolled her eyes.

Damon felt rage in the pit of his stomach _"Let's not talk about THAT"_ Damon spat

 _"See that's what I mean"_ Caroline gestured towards Damon _"The Damon Salvatore that I know would have been parading round the town telling everyone what had happened and you seem to be, I don't know….ashamed_ " she finished

 _"Is it Elena?"_ she continued _"Because, despite how much you crush on her, Damon, you are not letting her down, she will not be disappointed in you because she doesn't think of you in that way, she loves Stefan!"_ Caroline finished

 _"SHE LOVED ME!"_ Damon shouted angrily

 _"What do you mean, she loved you?"_ Caroline said, her volume and frustration increasing to match Damon's _"Do you mean Katherine, because she has been through this and I feel sorry for you and…"_

" _Not Katherine"_ Damon interrupted angrily _"Elena, Elena loved me, and no matter how many times you people think it was a mistake or a series of circumstances, she picked ME!"_ Damon said, slamming his hand into his chest and stepping towards Caroline menacingly. The rage that he felt surged deep into his body and he felt his adrenaline begin to rise as the veins in his face began to dance and his eyes darkened.

Caroline stumbled backwards towards the wall _"Damon, what is wrong with you! Elena DOES NOT AND NEVER HAS LOVED YOU! You're acting crazy."_ she pleaded

Damon, realising that look of terror on Caroline's face stepped away from her. He crumpled down on the floor, finding comfort in the cool metal of the chiller against his back as his head slumped into his hands. Caroline ran quickly back up the stairs and out of the house and Damon sat motionless feeling the rise and fall of his own chest.

 _"Oh, I don't know what I'm doing here"_ Damon said helplessly to himself as he held back tears _"I'm trying to do the right thing, to be a better man, but then she's there and I'm here"_ he gestured up the stairs and back towards himself as he spoke. _"God, this really is hell"_ he said as he ran his fingers through his dark hair.

Damon, realised that he was now alone in the cellar and was talking to himself, but he found it oddly comforting; going through things aloud;

 _""This is the Phoenix Stone and I need to work something out; I need to prove that I can do the right thing by not jumping directly for what I want; I need to do what is best for her, maybe then I can get out of this place"_

 _"What is going on?"_ Damon heard a new voice enter his monologue and round the corner as a familiar dark haired figure came into view. Damon stared up at Elena looking down at him, a familiar expression of disappointment and worry spread across her olive skin.

 _"Caroline just ran out of her in tears, Damon, what did you do?"_ she demanded _"Why do you always have to do this to people, Damon"_ she continued _"What do you want?"_

As Damon stared into the deep hazel eyes of the love of his life, he let out a sigh of exasperation and frustration as he again buried his head deep into his hands; he had to find a way out of this place and whilst he was doing it, he had to stay as far away from Elena as he could in the process – to prove that he could be selfless for the first time in his existence, that he truly could do what was best for her and let her go.

Damon got to his feet and straightened out his dark shirt and dusted off his dark denim jeans. He steeped towards Elena, who took a step away in anticipation.

Damon maintained eye contact with Elena, so close to her that he could hear her familiar heartbeat and feel her warm breath on his cool skin.

 _"It's not what I want Elena"_ He said softly _"It's what you want"_

 _"What is it that I want?"_ she asked quietly

Damon thought back to the first time that he had ever locked eyes on Elena Gilbert, on that dark destitute road in the outskirts of Mystic Falls. He had been taken aback by her beauty; so similar to Katherine yet so different – the years that he had known her he had come to recognise the distinctions between the two – the harshness in Katherine's hazel eyes and the compassion and warmness in Elena's; the warmth that illuminated from Elena's sun-kissed skin – Damon could tell them apart in a heartbeat. Damon knew that even back then, in those first moments of meeting, she was it, she was his world.

" _You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and even a little danger... I want you to get everything you're looking for_ "

Damon lip drew upwards in a familiar lopsided smirk as he recollected his words. He remembered that first meeting, Elena did not.

Elena inhaled deeply in anticipation as Damon spoke but as she leant forward in anticipation, Damon stepped back.

 _"But not with me"_ Damon took a deep breath in in preparation for what he was about to say

Elena looked at Damon, his eyes were tired and he had a shadow of beard covering his chin but he still looked like Damon, his hair was thick and dark and his mouth was set in his usual half sneer.

Elena stammered for words to come, but she could not. She leant back and found the concrete wall behind her and rested against it, clutching her hand to her chest trying to regain her composure as Damon mirrored and stepped away from her.

" _I once told you that I would always choose you"_ he continued _"But maybe I got that wrong, maybe choosing you doesn't mean being with you – maybe choosing you over me means letting you live a life without me and maybe I was always so consumed with you and me that I never saw what we were doing to everyone around us"_ Damon looked up the staircase, at where Caroline had just fled.

 _"Stefan always worried about the collateral damage"_ Damon said quietly, almost whispering _"Perhaps I should have too"_


	6. Chapter 6 - The Steal

Caroline sat atop the wall emblazoned with 'Mystic Falls High School' her legs swinging aimlessly as she tried to calm herself. She didn't understand why Damon was acting so crazy – what did he mean that Elena had chosen him? Had something happened that she didn't know about. Caroline subconsciously rolled her eyes – just usual Damon she guessed – he was probably still caught up by the fact that Elena had turned him down; he had nearly killed Jeremy over it after all!

The more that she contemplated it though, the more that she found that she couldn't blame Damon for the way that he was acting – it must be hard to see the reflection of a woman and who betrayed you and it must be equally as hard to watch history repeat itself and watch her pick Stefan over him again. Yes, Damon was cruel; but part of her knew that Damon was only cruel to protect himself – and in his own little way, to protect other people.

As she let the cool night air glide through her long blonde hair and heard the comforting silence of the empty high school at night time, she closed her eyes and leant back.

 _"Figured I'd find you here"_ Caroline heard a familiar voice and her eyes shot open and she was greeted with a familiar dark figure clutching an equally familiar bottle of bourbon.

 _"Damon"_ she said _"I was just thinking about you"_

" _Oh yeah?"_ Damon questioned teasingly _"I tend to have that effect on the ladies"_ he cooed raising an eyebrow suggestively as he sat down next to Caroline and shoved his shoulder into hers playfully.

 _"Ewww, No"_ Caroline said, pushing Damon away from her with a giggle _"I was just thinking that you're a pain in the ass, but …..maybe you have a reason to be"_ she finished, her tone softening.

 _"Let's not go down that road"_ Damon said seriously _"I'm an asshole – no excuses needed"_ he said, taking a huge glug of bourbon and offering the bottle towards Caroline with a smile.

 _"You're going to have to go home at some point"_ Damon changed the subject as Caroline accepted the bottle and took a sip.

 _"I can't, I'm not invited and I can't exactly turn up on the door stop 'Hi Mum, I'm a vampire now – would you mind inviting me in' "_ Caroline said in animatedly in a sarcastic sing-song tone

Damon smirked ' _Your mother would do anything for you, Caroline'_ he said " _She'll just need a bit of time"_

 _"No, Damon, she will kill me, like, LITERALLY"_ Caroline stressed _"Stake through the heart, bye-bye Vampire Barbie"_

Caroline giggled in tandem with Damon at the remark.

The conversation was interrupted by two bright headlights illuminating the corner of the school's parking lot as a car emblazoned with 'Mystic Falls Sheriff's Department' made its way toward the building.

 _"Well, we don't gotta go home, but we gotta get the hell out of here"_ Damon joked, jumping down from his space on the wall and offering Caroline his hand. He took a final gulp from the bottle and threw it onto the wet grass _"Plus"_ he added _"We're out of bourbon"._

Caroline smiled, reached out and took Damon's hand as she slid down towards the ground.

 _"Where are we going"_ she asked quietly

 _"WE"_ Damon emphasised the words _"Are not going anywhere"_

Caroline looked at Damon confused

 _"YOU"_ Damon said, prodding his finger into Caroline's chest _"Are going somewhere where Katherine hasn't been invited"_

 _"Oh year, Katherine"_ Caroline mused _"I'd completely forgotten about her in all of the Damon drama"_

" _Drama?!"_ Damon scoffed _"I have NO idea what you're talking about"_

 _"Ah you kidding"_ Caroline laughed exasperatedly _"Your mood swings are enough to give someone concussion!"_ Caroline smiled _"I could go to Matt's I suppose?"_ she suggested

 _"Ah, yes, The Quarterback"_ Damon rolled his eyes

 _"But, If I go there, aren't I just putting Matt in danger?"_ Caroline asked Damon worriedly

 _"Probably….let's go"_ Damon said as he began to head away from the school

 _"No, Damon"_ Caroline said, grabbing Damon's hand and pulling him back towards her _"Wherever I go, Katherine is going to find me and I don't want to put anyone else at risk, so…..what shall we do…..what does Katherine want?"_ she questioned

 _"Katherine would like to use your dislike for yours truly"_ Damon paused, gesturing towards himself _"for her own gain to get to my little brother"_

 _"Well it is a very strong dislike"_ Caroline interrupted sarcastically _"Although it should be"_ she added in a more serious tone _"Damon, I remember everything that you compelled me to do and you weren't exactly a gentleman"_ she said

 _"I know"_ Damon replied, his tone mirroring Caroline's and becoming more serious _"and I'm sorry"_ he said simply.

Caroline smiled softly as Damon looked at her apologetically.

 _"I have a habit sometimes…who am I kidding? ALL of the time…..of not seeing past what I want and I'm sorry that you got caught up in that, you didn't deserve it"_ Damon said softly as he placed a comforting hand on top of Caroline's.

 _"Oooh, I know"_ Caroline said, swiftly changing the tone of the conversation _"Can't I just feed Katherine false information"_

 _"Come again?"_ Damon questioned, clearing his throat.

 _"She wants information, right?"_ Caroline asked animatedly _"Why can't I just tell her what we want her to hear?"_

" _Ahhhh, I like Detective Blondie"_ Damon joked _"That just might work"_

" _There is just one problem"_ Damon said, his voice becoming low and solemn

 _"What?"_ Caroline whispered, her voice tinged with concern as she stepped towards Damon

 _"I've just remembered we're out of bourbon"_ Damon said as he pointed towards the empty bottle on the school lawn as Caroline laughed.

 _"So we're going back to yours"_ Caroline asked

 _"So forward, Blondie, I like it!"_ Damon teased, raising an eyebrow as he put his hand around Caroline's shoulders playfully and led her away from the school.

Caroline and Damon walked soundlessly through the woods of Mystic Falls, heading towards the Salvatore House, Damon humming to himself as he walked.

 _"So if you're this new changed man"_ Caroline started _"What does that mean for you and Elena?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_ Damon asked

 _"Well, everyone knows that you've been crushing on Elena HARD for like, ever"_ Caroline answered _"How does that fit into this whole 'does what's right for everyone else' persona that you've got going on here?"_ Caroline gestured Damon up and down as she spoke

 _"I would exactly call it CRUSHING"_ Damon emphasised, squinting his eyes in disapproval _"Let's leave the teen drama out of this honey – I'm, what, 150 – I don't CRUSH"_

" _You're DODGING"_ Caroline sang at Damon teasingly

 _"I am not dodging"_ Damon scoffed _"Just merely making an observation"_

 _"So are you going to use these new found emotions to win her over?"_ Caroline said dramatically

 _"I don't think that I'm going to win her over"_ Damon said quietly

 _"What"_ Caroline asked sadly _"You mean you're giving up on it all?"_

" _Yep"_ Damon said simply. He cleared his throat, trying to mask his emotions from Caroline _"Now I really need that drink, let's kick things up a notch"_ he said as he sped off towards the house, with Caroline trailing behind him.

As Caroline felt the night air kiss her pale skin as her speed increased, imitating Damon's, she felt a force pull her from behind and an intense rush of pain as her back hit the leaf stricken floor of the woods. The world spun and danced as Caroline tried to regain her composure. She placed her hands on the damp floor and pushed down, trying to bring herself to her feet but was met with the force of a foot on top of her chest. Caroline looked up.

 _"Hello Caroline"_ said a familiar voice

 _"Katherine"_ Caroline said through gritted teeth as she relinquished and fell back toward the ground.

Thoughts rushed through Caroline's head as she anticipated her next move; she wondered if she called out, if Damon would still hear her or whether he was too far away.

 _"Katherine"_ Caroline said warmly _"I'm so glad I ran into you, I have SOOO much to tell you"_ she smiled

 _"Really"_ Katherine said, emanating friendliness as Caroline was _"You see I thought you were just going to….what was it…tell me what I wanted to hear"_ Katherine's face dropped into a scowl as she spoke

 _"Ahhhh"_ Caroline said " _You heard that"_

" _Yep"_ Katherine replied _"Now, I want you to call your new BFF back, we have some things to discuss"_ Katherine said gesturing after Damon.

Caroline shook her head in refusal as Katherine grabbed a handful of her golden blonde hair and pulled her to her feet. Caroline winced in pain, refusing to cry out and give Katherine the satisfaction of it.

Katherine, still holding on to a handful of Caroline's hair, stepped in front of her and placed a sharp piece of wood in front of Caroline's frantically beating heart _"Call Damon back"_ she demanded through gritted teeth.

Caroline again shook her head, but as she felt the wood begin to burrow into her skin, she let out a cry which echoed around the woods.

Damon spun round on his heels as he heard the noise and immediately darted back in the direction from which he had just come.

 _"Caroline"_ Damon called out as he headed toward her screams

 _"Over here"_

Damon froze as he heard the hatred dripping from the all too familiar voice and turned to left, where he was greeted with the sight of Katherine clutching Caroline close to her as she burrowed a wooden stake dangerously close to Caroline's heart.

 _"Hello Katherine"_ Damon spat

 _"Well, that's rude"_ Katherine pouted _"and you were so fond of me when we last met"_ she smirked suggestively

 _"I wasn't feeling myself"_ Damon said flatly, glancing at Caroline in concern

 _"It seems you still aren't…Blondes never were your type"_ Katherine teased

 _"She's not my type"_ Damon scoffed _"So how about you just let her run along and we can talk"_

 _"Well, if you're not bothered by her, then"_ Katherine trailed off as she pressed the wood further into Caroline's chest as Caroline let out a scream of pain. Damon darted towards her, but Katherine moved quickly from his grasp.

 _"You never could lie to me"_ Katherine smirked

 _"What do you want?"_ Damon asked hatefully

 _"Well, If I can't get honest answers from this one"_ Katherine said, pulled Caroline's hair back further _"Then I think that I'll get them from you and I think that you will need a bit of…motivation"_

Katherine quickly darted away from Damon, clutching Caroline to her as Damon turned around and was greeted by Mason Lockwood, who threw his fist into Damon's face causing a burst of exploding pain as Damon was knocked towards the ground. Damon stood up, ready to defend himself but was greeted only by the cool night air as he stood alone in the woods. Damon listened intently and followed the sounds of Caroline struggling and let out a moan of dread as he followed the sound towards the abandoned church, whose cellar had once housed a tomb of imprisoned vampires.

Damon quickly climbed into the opening which led to the tombs door and his body dropped in defeat as he was greeted by the sight that he had been dreading. Caroline stood in the doorway of the tomb, sobbing as she looked at Damon.

 _"Just go"_ Caroline sobbed

 _"Are you kidding"_ Damon said angrily _"I'm not going to just leave you here"_

" _Seriously, Damon, just leave me"_ Caroline repeated defeated

 _"Oh, it's tragic"_ Damon heard Katherine's voice tease

 _"It's simple really"_ Katherine continued _"You bring me the moonstone and I'll get my witch friend to work a little magic to get Caroline here out for you"_

" _That's all you want?"_ Damon asked _"The moonstone – and then we're done?"_

 _"and Stefan"_ Katherine added

 _"What?..."_ Damon stuttered _"I can't BRING you Stefan"_

 _"Ah, ah ah"_ Katherine interjected, waving her finger from side to side in front of Damon _"clocks ticking"_


	7. Chapter 7 - Split Second Decisions

In that moment, staring at a helpless Caroline in the doorway of the dark, foreboding tomb, time stood still, or rather time flew backwards. Back 150 years until Damon was lying on the ground of the woods above his head, clutching a wound in his chest. Stefan had been by his side back then and though he had felt like a man when he had been with Katherine, he had simply been a boy, hopelessly vying for the affection of a pretty girl; unless of course he had realised what that pretty girl was. Katherine had been a monster masquerading as a damsel in distress and for what – for her own sick pleasure. Damon felt a sensation of rage rising from the pit of his stomach as he looked across the dark at a gloating Katherine.

But for a moment, Damon felt something inside of him along with that rage, it was a flickering sensation, so subtle and foreign that he barely even noticed it until he realised what it was – it was hope. This time, Damon wasn't unprepared, he was older, wiser and stronger and he could stop Katherine. He would make sure of it.

 _"I have to go find Stefan"_ Damon said, looking across the dark into Caroline's eyes. As he did so, her large blue eyes widened, pleading with him to leave her and keep everyone safe but deep down, she knew that Damon would not do that and so she remained silent, simply staring into Damon's eyes, the heightened ability to see in the dark brought on by her vampirism meant that she could see Damon's striking blue eyes across the darkened underground pit that surrounding the tomb as clear as she would as if they were standing out in the woods above on a clear sunkissed day. Caroline looked above her in desperation; she wondered if she would ever see the sun again.

As Caroline looked back over the enclosed space at Damon, she was greeted by only darkness and rock and the overpowering smell of soil and earth. She was alone. She sank against the wall, placed her head in her hands and sobbed – willing Damon to help her out of the tomb in which she was imprisoned.

Damon leaped from the underground tomb entrance into the vast dark space that surrounded the old church. He took a step forward, aiming for home when he felt a burst of pain explode in his shoulder accompanied by a deafened bang. Damon gasped in pain as he felt the wooden bullet pierce his skin and rest inside the muscle of his right shoulder.

Damon spun around and scanned the darkness. Damon's eyes rested on his attacker as he saw the familiar grin of Mason Lockwood.

 _"Damn Wolves"_ Damon spat through gritted teeth and he again began to run into the night, trying to ignore the pain messages that his brain was bombarding him with. He contemplated stopping and pulling the foreign object out to relieve the pain, but he knew that if he stopped he would only be greeted with more wooden bullets from Katherine's little lapdog and he didn't want to risk one entering his heart. Not that he was afraid of death – hell – with everything that Damon had been through in his lengthened existence, he would embrace it; but Damon was the only one who knew where Caroline was and if he died out here alone in the woods, no one would ever find her and she would desiccate alone in that tomb for all eternity. The horrendous thought spurred Damon on as he picked up speed, his eyes focused directly in front of him, intent on numbing the pain.

As Damon stormed through the front door of the Salvatore house, Stefan felt his stomach clench with recognition. Even though Stefan and Damon did not see eye to eye on all things - that did not change the fact that Damon was his brother. Stefan had known Damon his whole life and Stefan could tell when he was angry; even through his false smiles and he always knew when Damon was frightened, even though he would never, ever say it. Even as vampires, Stefan knew that something deep within him was still connected to Damon's moods and he could sense that Damon was in trouble.

 _"What's happened?"_ Stefan asked, his voice tinged with concern as he headed towards the front door where Damon stood. Elena followed suit, her expression mirroring Stefan's concern as she too headed towards Damon.

 _"Caroline"_ Damon said simply, gasping for breath and clutching at his blood soaked shoulder

 _"Oh my god"_ Elena said, reaching towards Damon.

Damon pulled away _"don't worry about that"_ he panted _"we need to help Caroline"_ he repeated

 _"Hold on, Damon"_ Stefan said calmly _"Slow down – what has happened – where is Caroline"_

 _"Katherine put her in the tomb"_ Damon said, his voice echoing the defeat that he felt as the words left his mouth

 _"You mean the tomb under the church – the one that vampires can't get out of?"_ Elena asked

 _"No, the other tomb!"_ Damon spat sarcastically _"Of course I mean that tomb!"_

" _Okay, that's enough"_ Stefan said, stepping between Elena and an angrily glaring Damon _"Elena's just worried – like you – there is no way in or out of that tomb for a vampire"_

 _"Thanks for your input, little brother"_ Damon said, his mouth curling upward as he bit the inside of his cheek trying to contain his anger _"I'm so glad I came home, what WOULD I have done without your input"_ he bit

Damon rolled his eyes and turned away from Elena and Stefan as he calmed himself. Yes, he was upset about what had happened and that Caroline was stuck down there all by herself, but that didn't mean that he had to take it out on other people – especially Elena. He turned back around to face the bewildered faces of Stefan and Elena.

 _"I'm sorry"_ Damon said simply _"I just can't believe that I let myself be bested by that She-Devil"_ he continued, raising his hand animatedly and feigning smacking himself on the head _"So stupid!"_ he practically whispered, cursing himself

 _"You're not stupid"_ Elena said comfortingly, stepping towards Damon _"It's not like you're the first person to be tricked by Katherine"_ she said

 _"Actually, it is normally me"_ Damon said, his voice echoing his frustration _"first because I loved her and then because I loved…."_ Damon stopped himself before he could finish, looking sheepishly at Elena.

Damon looked past Elena and was greeted with the stern face of his little brother, who clearly did not like what Damon was about to come out with. Stefan was of course aware of his brother's feelings for Elena, and his past ones for Katherine, but he sometimes wished that Damon wouldn't make his feelings and wishes so abundantly clear. He shook the stern look off his face as he looked across at Damon.

 _"It's not always you"_ Stefan said softly _"She's fooled us all once"_ he said nostalgically.

 _"Yeah, nice trip down memory lane"_ Damon said angrily, snapping himself back to the present and away from his self-indulgent feelings of woe _"But it's not helping anyone get anywhere – plans, people, plans"_ Damon snapped his fingers enthusiastically at Elena and Stefan.

 _"What does Katherine want?"_ Stefan asked Damon

 _"A magical rock thingy - a moonstone"_ Damon answered

 _"Great"_ Stefan replied " _Well, we'll just find it and give it to her"_

" _and you"_ Damon added

" _Me?"_ Stefan questioned

 _"Yeah – seems that old Kitty-Kat never has gotten over her crush on the irresistible Stefan Salvatore"_ Damon teased, a tinge of jealously soaking his voice

 _"What are we going to do"_ Elena interjected concerned _"We can't just hand Stefan over?"_

" _Sure we can"_ Damon said, stepping towards Elena and raising an eyebrow suggestively _"there are plenty of Salvatore brothers go around"_

Elena pushed Damon away from her with a look of disgust across her face as she looked across at Stefan, but a sly smile spread across her face as Stefan and Damon looked back toward each other. Elena knew that she was in love with Stefan, but there was something about Damon that both intrigued and terrified her and she knew under his cruel and cold exterior, that there was some echo of his humanity there. She knew that there was some ounce of goodness in him and he seemed to be displaying it now as he rambled through battle plans with Stefan of how to get Caroline out of the tomb. An unfamiliar feeling settled in the pit of Elena's stomach as she half listened to the conversational exchange between Damon and Stefan – she tried to deny to herself what the foreign feeling was but it was undeniable; she was jealous. Damon had never shown any remorse towards using Caroline as a plaything and discarding her like trash when he was finished – so Elena was at a loss as to why Damon was so concerned about her wellbeing. He had gone to the hospital to help her after he had somehow known of her transition, he had helped her with her change into a vampire and for some reason, they had been walking alone in the woods when Katherine had attacked – what were they doing in the woods together alone? Elena shook the questions from her head as she brought herself back to her surroundings and looked across at the younger of the two Salvatore brothers. She loved Stefan and regardless of any ridiculous fleeting feelings that she may have for his elder brother; she would never do anything to hurt Stefan. A dark hand entered her field of vision as she looked across at Stefan, and she surveyed the Lapus Lazuli ring that adorned Damon's hand, which was snapped its fingers incessantly in front of her eyes. Elena stepped back, pushed Damon's hand back towards him.

 _"Earth to Elena"_ Damon joked

 _"Sorry….what?"_ Elena said flustered

 _"Is there any way that you could somehow get into the Lockwood's Study and under a tatty old floorboard without being noticed?"_ Damon repeated toward Elena

 _"I can do it"_ Stefan insisted

 _"The town is full of Council members on high alert, Stefan, sneaking into one of the Council heads' house to steal from them using a range of vampy powers is probably not the best way to go about things"_ Damon insisted

 _"Damon's right"_ Elena agreed, looking past Damon at Stefan _"It's too dangerous for you – I'll do it"_

" _Great"_ Damon said with a forced smile as he stepped back away from Elena and Stefan, towards the front door.

 _"Where are you going?"_ Stefan asked

 _"I am going back to check on Blondie"_ Damon answered

 _"Damon, we're all worried about Caroline"_ Elena started _"But if you go back there, Katherine could just throw you in there with Caroline"_

 _"No, she couldn't – she needs me to deliver her one true love to her"_ Damon said, feigning a romanticised voice as he pointed towards Stefan _"Besides"_ he continued _"I'm no use to anyone up here regardless"_ he said, again stepping towards the front door.

 _"I'll go and check on Caroline"_ Elena offered

 _"You need to get the moonstone"_ Damon reminded her

 _"I'll get Tyler to go check on her"_ Elena counteroffered

 _"Oh, good idea"_ Damon said, pulling a face at Elena _"Let's get the nephew of the guy who shot me in the shoulder to check on the inmate!"_ he spat _"Why are you so concerned with me anyway, you need to save your boyfriend from the big bad – it's the story of your life – scram"_ Damon said gesturing Elena away from him.

 _"Bonnie then"_ Elena said quietly

 _"ELENA"_ Damon said, frustration filling his voice _"Why don't you really want me to go?"_ he asked

 _"I'm just worried about Katherine, that's all"_ Elena lied _"and I…"_ she began

Damon raised an eyebrow, a familiar smirk spreading across his face.

 _"You…..?"_ he enquired

 _"Just go"_ Damon heard Stefan's stern voice enter the conversation as he stepped away from Elena _"Damon's a big boy"_ Stefan continued, looking towards Elena _"I'm sure he's old enough and stupid enough to look after himself"_ he said, smiling at Damon who gave his little brother a quick salute as he darted out of the door and towards Caroline.

Elsewhere, Caroline sat on the cold and dust ridden ground of her new found prison and hugged her knees close to her chest. She had recently endured the lifechanging event of becoming a vampire and now she had been locked up alone in an underground hell-hole. She had no idea how long Damon had been gone but it seemed like a lifetime and with Damon Salvatore, though he had been acted so differently, you never knew what you were going to get and Caroline let the thought enter her head that perhaps he was not coming back – perhaps no one would ever know that she was down here.

 _"God, I'm so hungry"_ she screamed aloud at the wall

 _"Who am I talking to"_ she asked herself, her arms waving animatedly as she conversed with the blank walls that surrounded her.

 _"Oh great, so now I'm going crazy as well as being trapped in here all alone…..Damon, where are you?"_ Caroline pleaded

 _"Well, I'm flattered that you would think of me in your time of need_ " Caroline smiled as she heard the familiar voice echo from the doorway to the tomb.

 _"Damon"_ she practically yelled as she clambered to her feet and ran towards the tomb's entrance

 _"Have you found a way to get me out of here"_ she said speedily, her eyes widening in anticipation

 _"Just hold your horses there missy"_ Damon said smiling _"I'm working on it – rather, Stefan is working on it, I'm just here with presents"_ Damon said, tauntingly holding up a bag of blood in one hand and a bottle in the other.

 _"Oh god, I'm not sure which one I want more"_ Caroline said, a near giggle escaping her lips.

Damon threw the blood bag towards Caroline, who quickly caught it and tore it open with her teeth. She let out an audible sigh of relief as the blood entered her system and she immediately felt vitalised and sated.

Caroline tossed the empty bag at Damon, who was sat on the floor, his back pressed up against the wall as he sat deep in thought waiting for Caroline to finish. He chewed his fingernail nervously and Caroline wondered what he was thinking about.

 _"Penny for your thoughts"_ Caroline asked Damon

 _"Oh, they're worth much more than that"_ Damon teased

 _"I don't really have much to work with here"_ Caroline said gesturing at the empty walls that surrounding her _"Just me and my tomb"_ she said in a sing-song voice.

 _"I'm so sorry Caroline"_ Damon said, his voice turning sombre as he looked through the doorway at the beautiful blonde _"I should have just left you be"_

 _"To what, go crazy and run out into the sunlight from the hospital?"_ Caroline asked sarcastically

 _"I thought I was helping, but….."_ Damon started

 _"You did help"_ Caroline interrupted, reassuring Damon _"I don't know how I would have gotten through the last few days without you"_ Caroline said, a weak smile resting on her pale face

 _"If I'd have never come back to town, Katherine wouldn't even be here"_ Damon reminisced

 _"But you did"_ Caroline interjected _"So, there is no point thinking like that"_

Damon looked up at Caroline, a weak smile mirroring hers as they looked through the doorway at each other.

 _"I'm going to get you out of here"_ Damon whispered

 _"I know"_ Caroline retorted softly

 _"Well"_ Damon said, starting to rise to his feet _"It's getting late – don't let the bed bugs bite"_ he joked

Damon froze as he heard a familiar chuckle echo around the room. _"You always were one to ruin the mood"_ Katherine chortled _"I trust that you have done as I asked"_

" _Yes"_ Damon said with a huff _"Elena has gone to get the moonstone and Stefan will be down here in the blink of an eye once we have it – he always was the hero"_

 _"Oh"_ Katherine pouted _"You've always been quite the hero yourself"_

" _Oh no, I'm the villain"_ Damon said, his eyes widening to emphasise his point as a dangerous smile spread across his face

 _"Well, let's test that theory out"_ Katherine said suggestively as she clicked her fingers.

Damon had little time to react as he saw the outline of Mason Lockwood run into the tomb and stand next to Caroline.

 _"You are right"_ Katherine said to Damon _"It is getting late"_ she turned to saunter away and with a knowing glance she looked back at Damon " _Shame it's a full moon tonight"_ she added simply.

Damon glanced back at Caroline who stood frozen in fear in front of Mason Lockwood.

 _"Caroline, Run"_ Damon demanded

 _"Where to!"_ Caroline pleaded

 _"She's using you, man"_ Damon said angrily, half pleading with Mason _"She lets you think that she loves you, I fell for it one, I get it – but she is toying with you"_ he spat

Mason didn't respond, he stood unmoving, maintaining eye contact with Mason the whole time. The rays of the moon ahead symbolically shone through the open ground above their heads, as Mason began to twitch signalling the first hints of pain of his transformation. Without thinking, Damon ran forward and threw Mason out of the tomb, the force of the throw knocked Mason against the rocks that surrounding their enclosing, rendering him unconscious on the ground.

Damon turned to Caroline _"Are you okay?"_

" _Damon"_ Caroline said worriedly _"You passed the doorway, which means….."_

" _Hello roomie"_ Damon said sarcastically, rolling his eyes in frustration as he slid towards the ground and placed his head in his hands.


	8. Chapter 8 - Caught in the Act

Caroline chanced a sideways look at Damon as they sat alone in the tomb. He was wearing a black cotton t-shirt that emphasised the pallor of his skin. His eyes were shadowed – indicating that he hadn't fed on blood recently. He looked like what he was, a hungry, tired vampire.

 _"God, it's been forever!"_ Caroline complained

 _"Yes, Care, I realise this"_ Damon almost bit back, before adjusting his tone and holding back his frustration. The last thing that he wanted to do was piss off the one person he might have to share an eternity with in a small, dark tomb.

 _"Sorry"_ Damon added, looking back down at the smooth grey pebble that he was turning over again and again in his hand, trying not to pay heed to the hunger pangs that rippled through his body. He had no idea how long they had actually been trapped, but it felt like a lifetime and his veins burned for sustenance.

 _"So since it looks like we're going to, what did you call…."_

 _"Desiccate"_ Damon finished Caroline's sentence

 _"Right, desiccate"_ Caroline corrected herself _"Since, we're going to desiccate in here alone together, would you mind telling me what the hell is going on with you"_

" _As a matter of fact, I would"_ Damon said, looking up at Caroline with a smirk and the casting his eyes back to his new favourite pastime. Damon figured if he just focused on the smooth surface in his hands, maybe his body wouldn't hurt so much and his mind would stop reeling.

 _"Damon!"_ Caroline demanded _"I'm stuck down here and"_

 _"It's MY fault?"_ Damon questioned accusingly

 _"No, that's not what I was going…."_ Caroline defended

 _"No, come on, out with it Blondie"_ Damon said angrily _"You think that this is all my fault"_ Damon said, gesturing around the dark room in which they lay entombed

Caroline got up to her feet, her slim figure looming over Damon who remained seated _"Yes, okay, if you hadn't have fed me your blood to impress Elena that you were such a hero, then….."_

 _""Yes, okay, if you hadn't have fed me your blood to impress Elena that you were such a hero, then….."_

 _"You'd be dead"_ Damon retorted angrily

Caroline took a step back from Damon as he angrily got to his feet, his superior figure now looming over hers.

 _"That's right Caroline, you'd be dead!"_ Damon repeated _"Maybe I should have just left it at that"_

Caroline bit back an intake of breath, shocked by Damon's remarks as her angry face fell, reflecting the hurt that she felt from Damon's words. She stepped back further still from Damon and spun on her heel as she headed around the corner and into another section of the vast darkness that was the tomb that they were concealed in.

Damon looked down at the floor, his eyes wide as he realised his remark after the words had escaped his lips. He sighed as he watched Caroline storm off.

 _"Look, Caroline, I'm sorry"_ he said pursuing her around the corner and finding only empty space and damp rock _"I'm just hungry"_ he shouted into the empty air _"I turn into an asshole….well, more of an asshole"_ he chuckled

 _"Oh, who am I kidding"_ Damon said aloud to himself as he slid his back against the wall and sat on the floor _"I'm always an asshole"_

 _"Look, no doubt Elena is going to be here soon"_ Damon called aloud into the emptiness _"and she is going to be super pissed at me if I've upset her favourite frenemy"_

 _"Is always about Elena isn't it"_ Damon heard Caroline remark from around the corner

 _"There you are"_ Damon said, following the echo of Caroline's voice

 _"Why is it always about Elena with EVERYONE?!"_ Caroline emphasised

 _"Look, I know that you're feeling a little…."_ Damon began, reaching towards Caroline's arm

Caroline recoiled, pulling away from Damon _"No, I'm serious Damon"_ she demanded _"It is always all about Elena. I mean, I know that she has been through some really horrible stuff and I get it, I do, but that doesn't mean that everything has to be about her all the time! I mean, I get turned into a vampire, I mean, I'm frickin dead"_ Caroline gestured up and down her body animatedly and angrily _"and what does Stefan care about – Elena's upset that this has happened to her friend – never-mind how the friend feels about being DEAD!"_ she spat

Damon stood back in both bemusement and amusement at Caroline's outburst and surveyed as she continued

 _"And then there's you"_ Caroline said, gesturing towards Damon

 _"Me?"_ Damon questioned with a smirk

 _"Well, she's with Stefan and then I started dating you and she's all 'oh you can't trust Damon' and, well, she was probably right"_ Caroline's own inner monologue built in speed an animation as she continued as if Damon were not there _"and then I turned and you changed and then she's still like…oh, you can't trust Damon…."_

 _"She said that?"_ Damon interrupted

 _"Oh yeah"_ Caroline replied _"Apparently this is all an act to get something that you want – apparently, hell would freeze over before Damon Salvatore did something selfless"_

" _Huh"_ Damon scoffed with a smirk _"I mean ….. she's probably right"_

Caroline watched as Damon looked down at the floor. She surveyed the betrayal in his eyes at what she had just revealed and immediately felt remorse for having told him.

 _"Damon, look, I was ranting"_ Caroline said with an apologetic smile

 _"No, really"_ Damon said quickly _"She's only saying what everyone else was thinking right?"_ A half‑sided weak smile rested on Damon's face

 _"To begin with, yes"_ Caroline said, taking a step towards Damon a little warily _"You know, when I remembered everything that you did to me, when you compelled me, I mean, I HATED you"_ Caroline emphasised _"But I don't know what happened, I don't feel that hatred anymore and I think that that's because that's not you anymore – I don't know what happened, and I know you don't want to talk about it, but whatever happened, I'm happy it happened_ " Caroline said with a smile _"I LIKE this Damon"_ she said as she reached toward his hand.

Damon felt Caroline's cool skin on his and felt the reassuring of her touch. His mind worked overtime trying to overcome the claustrophobia that he was beginning to feel down in this tomb and the hunger that burned within him. Trying to block out competing thoughts, Damon focused solely on her hand on his and the reassurance that her touch gave him. What Caroline had told her about Elena had knocked him, he had known that Elena had not been in love with him back then, but he was always under the impression that she had fought to protect and to nurture his humanity, but from what she had said to Caroline, she had been just as prepared as anyone to cast him aside as a heartless monster – even when he had presented himself as he was now. Caroline could see and accept the change in him and his heart ached when he realised that Elena would not do the same. It had made him see Elena in a whole new light, as had it made him see Caroline in an altered way.

Damon didn't know what had overcome him, whether it was the paranoia of being trapped down in this tomb alone, or in this altered reality alone or the burning in his veins, but he took Caroline's hand and pulled it closer to him as he stepped towards her.

Caroline leant back against the wall of the tomb, the stone was cold and felt a relief against her skin. Caroline pulled Damon toward her carefully until their bodies were lined up and so close that he could feel his breath on her skin.

 _"Caroline"_ Damon said, his voice both a whisper and a warning and she could hear the longing in it, longing for physical closeness, for any touch at all and she wondered further still what had happened to him. Carefully he reached either side of her and placed his hands on the stone wall, entombing her in the space made by his arms. She felt his breath on her hair and the touch of his body against hers. She remembered what Damon had told her about heightened sensations and every inch of her felt that sensitisation, everywhere Damon touched, she felt as if needles of pleasure were being dragged against her skin.

Damon closed his eyes and Caroline could see his dark lashes feathering against his pale cheeks. They were close enough together that when he breathed in, she felt the expansion of his chest.

 _"We can't"_ Damon whispered

Caroline put her hand against his chest, his heart was beating like trapped wings _"we have before"_ Caroline replied whispering as she leaned up to brush her lips against the corner of his mouth. Damon leant towards her and Caroline pressed up against him harder than she had meant to. She felt him breathe out in surprise against her mouth and then they were kissing, really kissing.

Damon's hands were still flat against the stone behind Caroline but his body moved against hers, gently pressing her up against the wall and she could hear the harsh undertone of his breathing, She let her hands moved freely over the swell of his arm, down his chest, tracing the ridges of muscle. Her fingertips touched bare skin and then she was sliding her hands up under his shirt and she hadn't touched him like this in so long, and since she had become a vampire, that she nearly forgotten the smoothness of his perfect skin and how the muscles in his back jumped under her touch.

Damon glanced sideways and to Caroline's surprise, he broke away, reeling back almost drunkenly and hitting the opposite wall, his eyes wide. Caroline stood up straight and followed Damon's gaze to the entrance to the tomb, where, watching eyes wide with surprise and disappointment stood Elena and Matt.


	9. Chapter 9

Damon lulled his head back against the cool tree trunk against which he sat, breathing in the bittersweet taste of freedom. As soon as he had heard the unfamiliar voices finish their spell, he had made a hasty exit out of the tomb and ran deep into the woods, away from everyone.

As the magic had encompassed the tomb to break its barrier. it had awoken Damon's memories - flashbacks came pouring in and his heart shattered as he recalled why he had travelled back to Mystic Falls in this time; this wasn't the Phoenix Stone gone awry - the Phoenix Stone had been destroyed, Stefan's soul still trapped inside. Damon had not meant to travel back to 2010, he had simply meant to travel back to any time in which Stefan was alive - Bonnie had helped him do that - not the Phoenix Stone.

Guilt overcame Damon as he reflected on how long he had spent thinking that this experience was all about Elena, about him, when in fact it was about his little brother. Damon didn't want to go back to where he was from, he didn't want to go back to a time without Stefan and most of all. he realised that all he wanted to do by travelling back was to do right by Stefan. This wasn't about Elena being happy, this was about Stefan being happy and the moment that everything had started to fall apart was here and now - if Damon could someone save Elena without affecting her feelings for Stefan, perhaps time would take a different path, a path where Stefan could live a long and happy life.

As Damon reflected on what he had remembered, he reflected on things that he had not anticipated upon devising his plan, the main curveball that he had not anticipated was Caroline. Damon and Caroline had history, sure, and he had led everyone and somewhat himself believe that he had simply used Caroline to his own ends when in fact that was not entirely true, Damon had always been attracted to Caroline, but the first time that he had lived this existence, feelings were washed out by his overwhelming attraction and emotion for Elena, this time around, it didn't cloud his judgement so much, he now noticed Caroline more than he ever had before. He had tried to shake the feelings that were stirring, but they persisted each time he was around her.

As if his thoughts of her had drawn him to him, Damon looked up and saw Caroline approaching through the darkness. A small smile crossed his face as he stood to greet the blonde vampire, but his face fell as she stumbled towards him. Damon noted that warm fresh blood dripped from the right arm, which she clutched in agony towards her chest. Damon noted the winces of pain with each in take of breath.

 _"What happened?"_ Damon said, catching Caroline and she stumbled into his arms.

 _"That guy...the one with Katherine...Mason...he..."_ Caroline trailed off as she lifted her arm to demonstrate the remainder of her story.

Damon grabbed Caroline's arm and pulled it towards that

 _"Is this where you start ripping parts of your shirt off to bandage my wound?"_ Caroline teased

 _"If you wanted me to take my clothes off - you should have just asked"_ Damon retorted as he pulled Caroline's good arm over his shoulders to support her. _"Next time you're planning on getting bit by a werewolf to get my attention - just remember that a little sweet talk works wonders"_ Damon scoffed, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

 _"I'll keep that in mind"_ Caroline replied _"Why isn't it healing?"_ She enquired

 _"It's a werewolf bite"_ Damon answered _"It's lethal to vampires"_

" _So that's it! I'm going to die...AGAIN!"_ Caroline pulled away angrily.

Damon caught Caroline as she swayed back toward him _"Wow there Blondie, you've got a lot of werewolf toxin in your system, we need to get you home"_

 _"_ _But I don't want to die"_ Caroline said softly

 _"You won't - I can get an antidote, I just need to find someone"_ Damon said, pulling Caroline back into him shoulder and placing a tender kiss on the top of her head _"We just need to get you somewhere safe first"_

 _"DAMON!"_

Damon heard a familiar voice call his name with urgency and turned around to see his younger brother running toward him, Elena in his arms.

 _"What ha...?"_ Damon asked

 _"No time, just run!"_ Stefan yelled

Following his younger brother's lead, Damon turned toward Caroline and not a word was said before he scooped her into his arms and fled as fast as he could back towards the old boarding house.

Damon gently lowered Caroline onto the velvet couch which sat in the centre of the parlour room, gentling brushing back the strands of blonde hair which were begin to matt to her head as the fever kicked in. She smiled gently up at his and opened her mouth to speak.

 _"Shhhh"_ Damon interrupted _"I'm going to go and see what is going on, you stay here"_

 _"I don't think I'm going anywhere in a hurry"_ Caroline scoffed weakly.

 _"Right"_ Damon said determined as he strode toward the hallway in which Stefan and Elena stood _"What the hell was that about - what is going on?!"_

 _"It was Klaus"_ Stefan answered _"He found us by the tomb - as soon as he told us his name, we ran"_

 _"Ok"_ Damon answered calmly _"We need to go find him"_ He reached toward the bannister on which his leather jacket hung and quickly threw it over his broad shoulders.

 _"Find him!?"_ Stefan remarked _"Why would we want to find him!?"_

" _Because, Caroline has been bitten by Tyler's big bad uncle and if I don't convince Klaus to lend us a tiny bit of his blood, she's going to die"_ Damon all but spat through gritted teeth at his little brother, offended by his questions and the amount of time that they were wasting.

 _"Have you given the moonstone to Katherine yet?"_ Damon asked

Stefan reached into his pocket and pulled out the white smoothed stone and turned it over in his hands as he looked back up at Damon.

 _"Good"_ Damon smiled _"Then we've got something to work with"_

Damon strode back toward the reception room toward Caroline, who lay quietly on the couch, her breathing laboured and her whole body shivering with fever. Damon grabbed an old sheet and lowered to his knee as he wrapped the cotton around Caroline's sweat laden shoulders.

 _"I'm going to be right back"_ Damon said tucking the sheet around Caroline's body _"So don't go dying on me, alright Blondie"_

 _"That feels better, you're an angel"_ Caroline said with a smile

 _"Hey, I'm trying to be nice - don't go spreading malicious rumours like that about me"_ Damon joked _"Plus, you once said that calling me Satan was offensive to Satan"_ Damon continued, smirking at Caroline

 _"I don't remember that"_ Caroline said

 _"Well, you won't remember much in your state"_ Damon answered quickly, cursing himself for speaking before thinking _"Just get some rest, I'm going to make this better"_ Damon's voice took a more serious tone _"Seriously, hang on in there ok?"_

Caroline nooded weakly at Damon as he leant down and planted a slight kiss on her forehead.

 _"Knock Knock"_ Damon heard a familiar voice call from the doorway and swung around quickly. A frown spread over his face as he was greeted by a familiar presence.

 _"Klaus - how nice of you to drop by"_ Damon chimed sarcastically

 _"I hear that you have something of mine"_ Klaus said menacingly

 _"I do"_ Damon answered _"But first, there's something that you need to do for me"_ Damon said looking back at Caroline _"Please, come in"_ Damon smiled through gritted teeth.

Klaus leant down next to Caroline's weak body _"Now what's a beautiful thing like you doing with a Salvatore"_ He said softly with a smile as he leant in towards Caroline.

 _"Lapse of judgment"_ Caroline joked weakly

 _"Indeed"_ Klaus chortled as he bought his wrist to his mouth and tore into his own fled. Warm blood trailed down his arm as he pressed it towards Caroline, who drank greedily.

Damon watched as the colour returned to Caroline's face as Klaus blood took hold.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, as Caroline's demeanour returned to normal, Klaus grabbed her and pulled her towards him _"Now, give me what I want"_

 _"There's no need for this"_ Damon said, holding the moonstone towards Klaus _"Just let her go, I said that we'd give you what you wanted, here it is"_

A malicious smirk crossed Klaus' face _"The moonstone is pointless without the other piece of the puzzle"_

Damon's face dropped with realisation and dread _"the doppleganger"_ he said simply

 _"You catch on quick"_ Klaus remarked sarcastically _"Bring her to me or you'll wish that this one had died from the werewolf bite"_

Damon watched helplessly as Klaus ran from the house with Caroline in his grip and turned around to be greeted by Stefan's disapproving gaze.


	10. Chapter 10 - I Don't Need You

'How are we even going to find him?' Stefan asked helplessly as he paced backwards and forwards across the large expanse of the ornate room, running his fingers through his short brown hair in frustration.

'I know where he'll be' Damon answered flatly

'How? How would you know?' Stefan replied 'Look, Damon, I'm liking this whole new caring about others thing, but it's confusing…..and suspicious…..what are you up to?'

'What I'm I up to?' Damon mirrored, anger rising in his voice 'Is it that hard to believe that I don't want Caroline dead?'

'At the expense of Elena, yes' Stefan answered

'No one said anything about giving up Elena'

'Then we have nothing Damon, we have NOTHING to work with, NOTHING he wants!'

'Bonnie' Damon answered, hope flickering in his eyes 'Where's Bonnie?'

'She's at home' Elena answered 'We can't get her involved in this though – there are already too many people in danger'

'Well, Elena, we either get Bonnie involved or we choose between you and Caroline – which one would you pick?' Damon questioned sarcastically

'Me' Elena answered in a matter of fact tone

Elena's response threw Damon off guard. Still the same old Elena that he used to know, always willing to put herself in harm's way and at death's door to help the people she loved. Part of Damon knew that this was a part of Elena's make up and that he had loved Elena fiercely, but another part of him seethed with anger and resentment at this all too familiar trait. Elena had never been one to listen to reason, to hatch out a plan; she would always throw herself onto the fire first and then wait for the options to save her.

'I'll tell you what happens every time you choose to offer yourself up on a plate, Elena' Damon spat angrily 'You make things worse! You always make things worse!'

Elena stepped back from Damon, her eyes glowing with anger 'Don't act like you know me!' she said angrily

'But I do know you! I know exactly what you'll do! You'll go to Klaus and offer yourself up and Klaus will kill you, and he'll kill Caroline too!'

'He said that it was a swap' Elena answered hesitantly

'and you TRUST him?' Damon scoffed 'That's the thing Elena, you always take people at their word and more often than not, their LYING to you!'

'Not everyone is like you' Elena answered

'Well, Klaus is, trust me' Damon answered, holding back the hurt that Elena's words inflicted as he strode across the room and parked himself on the large couch, his regular glass of bourbon sat on the side and he reached for it and began to nurse it as he delved into his thoughts.

Damon had forgotten how hard he had had to work to gain Elena's affections – working against the perfect image of his younger 'hero' brother. Damon remembered Stefan had told him that his instinct had always been to help others and he had questioned Damon's – Damon had known the answer then as much as he knew the answer now, Damon's first thought was always Damon, until Elena, with Elena, she had always been his first priority but that had not always been the case.

Damon's first attraction to Elena, and indeed to Katherine, had emerged from one place, that selfishness. Damon had seen something that Stefan wanted and he wanted it more; sure, those feelings had grown into love, a love fiercer and more intense that anything he had every experienced, but the truth of the matter was that he had pursued Elena in spite of Stefan, nothing more. He had endured the personality traits and quirks that infuriated him and grown to love Elena in spite of them but Damon was realising something, something that struck terror into his very soul – now that he was here again, ready to do it all over again, he didn't have that resentment for his little brother anymore; he no longer felt the need to take away anything that was Stefan's. In all honesty, he found that he was more grateful to be here with Stefan than with Elena. The thought terrified him – he'd been so afraid of living a life where Elena didn't love him; what if he didn't love Elena?

The thoughts tumbled over and over in Damon's head but the more that he tried to concentrate on his feelings for Elena, the more his worry for Caroline rose. Whilst he was here mulling over his feelings for Elena, Caroline was trapped somewhere with an original vampire and it wasn't just the fact that Klaus might hurt Caroline that scared Damon, it was the fact that where he had come from, Klaus had loved Caroline and Caroline had shared that love with him to an extent. Damon wasn't sure if he was more worried that Klaus would hurt Caroline or that those feelings would somehow still come to pass through some act of fate – taking Caroline from him.

It was at that moment that Damon's fears were fulfilled, at that moment in time, he cared more about what happened to Caroline than he cared whether or not Elena loved him. Somehow, fate had come around twofold and in a paradoxical fashion, his love for Elena in a former life had now made him a man who no longer needed that love to form his character. He had already had the chance to become the man he had always wanted to be and he was grateful to Elena for that but he no longer felt that he needed Elena to be that person, if anything; his time with Caroline had taught him that.

'Damon' Elena repeated as she tried to grab his attention.

Damon snapped himself away from his thoughts and looked up at Elena and without thinking, the words tumbled from his mouth.

'I don't need you' Damon said, his voice sounding tainted with sadness and regret

'What?' Elena said, confused

Damon realised where he was and modified his words.

'I don't need you to come with me' he repeated, I can deal with this myself.

With that thought and the pain of his final words ringing in his ears, Damon stood and set his glass back down on the ornate oak side table and grabbed his leather coat. As he strode from the house towards Caroline, he felt a sense of freedom and relief – he didn't intend to relive the past and he didn't need to focus on keeping Elena safe, Stefan would ensure that – no – this was his chance to live his life again as the man he always wanted to be, a man more like Stefan, without selfish tendencies to ruin everyone's lives. He was going to live this life as his own and he knew exactly what he wanted at this moment – Caroline.

**LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE STORY SO FAR IN THE REVIEWS SECTION** :)


	11. Chapter 11

Caroline felt her body re-accustom to gravity as she reached a sudden stop in unfamiliar surroundings. Klaus had dragged, well, all but carried her from the Salvatore house and she had never known someone move as fast as he did. Even with her newly acquired vampire abilities, she could never dream of running so quick – heck, even Damon didn't move that quickly and he had over a century under his belt.

Caroline felt a pang as she thought of Damon – he had worried so much about getting her better that it had got them into this predicament. Caroline mulled things over – it seemed that she had a habit of causing trouble for Damon ever since he had helped her in the hospital after Katherine had turned her into a vampire and she felt guilty for all of the aggravation that she had bought into his life.

Caroline's train of thought was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

" _Earth to…what is your name?_ " she heard a strong British accent addressing her

" _It's none of your business_ " Caroline replied defiantly

 _"and feisty as well"_ he replied a mischievous grin spreading across his face _"Should I just make one up for you then, how about…."_

 _"Caroline"_ Caroline interrupted abruptly " _It's Caroline"_

 _"Nice to meet you Caroline, my name is Niklaus"_

 _"Charmed, I'm sure"_ Caroline said sarcastically, an over-exaggerated grin spreading across her face

 _"Look, I'm sorry that you've been dragged into this, Caroline"_ Klaus said _"As soon as I get what I want, we can get you home"_

" _Well, that would be a relief"_ Caroline bit at Klaus " _but the thing is, the THING that you want is a PERSON, and that PERSON so happens to be one of my best friends!"_

" _It's nothing personal, love"_ Klaus answered

 _"Nothing personal"_ Caroline scoffed _"What is it that you want this stupid stone and Elena for anyway?"_

 _"To break my curse – I've lived alone for a thousand years, I'd like the ability to be with my own kind"_ Klaus said, biting back any emotion that might seep into his voice. He looked up at Caroline who stood unmoving in front of him.

 _"What?"_ Caroline said flatly _"Am I meant to say 'oh poor you, it's okay that you want to kill people because you're all alone'? Well, no it's not okay it's selfish and it's….."_ Caroline struggled for the right words _"mean…its MEAN!"_ she finished

An unintentional grin spread across Klaus face _"Mean?"_ he said mockingly _"A 1,000 year old vampire who has committed countless atrocities throughout the ages and I'm…mean?"_

Caroline tried to fight the smirk that spread across her face as she attempted to maintain the anger in her tone _"Well…..I couldn't think of another word!"_ she said, an involuntary giggle nearly escaping with her words.

 _"Look, sit down and relax. You might as well be comfortable whilst you're here. I'll try not to be to….mean"_ Klaus said smiling

 _"Oh"_ Klaus turned back around to Caroline, his eyes focused on hers _"You will not attempt to escape. You will wait here until your friends bring me what I want or until I say otherwise, do you understand?"_

Caroline tried to tear her eyes away from Klaus' but found that she could not.

 _"I won't try to escape"_ she said involuntarily, her face filled with confusion as the words tumbled from her lips.

Damon gripped the steering wheel of his blue mustang as he headed toward the house that Klaus had resided in the first time that he had lived this year – hoping that he would find the original vampire there. Thankfully, lights flickered in the windows of the large residence, indicating that someone was there.

Damon had been driving for nearly 10 hours by the time he reached the house in Mystic Falls – he had spent the previous day hatching out a plan which meant that everyone got what they wanted and no one got hurt. Luckily, having lived the future before he knew one thing that helped him fix things – Elena was the only doppelganger – his very own younger brother was also Silas' doppelganger and when Stefan had technically 'died' after his transformation into a vampire, another doppelganger was brought into the world and Damon had just driven over 200 miles to Atlanta to collect that very same person.

Sure, Damon could hear echoes of pretty much everyone in the back of his mind ' _don't do it Damon', 'He's just an innocent guy, Damon'_ well, boo hoo, if it was a choice between Caroline, Elena and this perfect stranger, I'm afraid poor old Tom was the one that had to die.

Damon glanced back at the seemingly lifeless body that lay on the backseat of his car, watching Tom's shallow breaths inflate and deflate his chest – sure it was unfortunate that this poor guy had to pay the price of Klaus' demands but it was a sacrifice that needed to be made – at least that is what Damon would tell himself to help himself sleep better at night!

Damon strode up the stairs that led to the front door and planted his feet firmly on the ground, with Tom's unconscious body lulled over his shoulders he knocked the front door and waited in anticipation for an answer.

An all too familiar face greeted him from the threshold, a look of confusion spread across his face.

 _"You said you wanted a doppelganger"_ Damon said cheerily, throwing Tom towards Klaus.

Klaus stumbled back as he caught Tom.

 _"One doppelganger coming up"_ Damon sang

 _"I'm not daft"_ Klaus said angrily _"Your girlfriend seems to have got markedly more masculine"_ he said in a broad British accent studying Tom

 _"Number one, not my girlfriend"_ Damon started _"number two, Elena is not the only doppelganger around, come on, I thought you'd have known that, all powerful original vampire and all that"_

 _"Oh my god, Stefan"_ Caroline said entering the conversation abruptly

 _"Nope, guess again"_ Damon said _"This here is my baby bro's doppelganger – a descendant of Silas – I'm guessing you've heard of him"_ Damon directed towards Klaus

 _"How do you know all this?"_ Klaus asked suspiciously

 _"What – do I not look like I know stuff?"_ Damon teased _"Now come on, a deal's a deal, hand over Blondie and we will be on our merry way"_ Damon held his hand out toward Caroline

 _"How do I know that this isn't all an elaborate rouse – that this isn't just Stefan?"_ Klaus asked

 _"Yeah, cause I would just hand over my brother for the slaughter"_ Damon said mockingly

 _"Very well"_ Klaus said turning around to Caroline _"Caroline, you can go"_

Damon leapt forward, grabbing for Caroline and pulling her out of the door.

 _"Wait, wait, wait"_ Caroline said hastily _"What do you mean 'for the slaughter'? What's he going to do with that guy?"_

 _"That's not important"_ Damon answered " _Let's go"_ he grabbed Caroline's arm, directed her towards his car

 _"It is important DAMON!"_ Caroline snapped _"Did you seriously just hand over some guy's life in exchange for mine – you can't just do something like that"_

 _"Just did"_ Damon said sharply " _LET'S GO!"._ He again grabbed for Caroline's arm, trying to pull her towards the car.

 _"DAMON!"_ Caroline demanded, pulling away from him

 _"Look"_ Damon spun Caroline in front of him, his eyes fixed on hers _"If it is a choice between you and that complete stranger in there, yes, I'm going to let him take the bullet"_

 _"There has to be another way"_ Caroline said helplessly

 _"It's you, him or Elena, which one was I meant to choose"_ Damon asked

 _"Well, if it was simply a choice between me and Elena, I don't see why you went to the effort of finding someone else - everyone knows what your immediate decision would have been"_ Caroline said sheepishly

 _"What are you talking about?"_ Damon asked confused

 _"Why didn't you just keep Elena safe, that's what you wanted to do"_

" _You think that I'd just leave you here to keep Elena safe?"_

 _"Well, yeah, that's kind of your thing isn't it - sacrificing other people for Elena's safety - isn't that everyone's thing?"_ Caroline said bitterly

 _"Wow, say it like you mean it Blondie!"_ Damon said smirking, stepping towards the angry blonde vampire _"that is not my thing...not anymore. And anyway, how about a 'thanks Damon', you saved my life Damon' I owe you one Damon' instead of throwing insults"_

 _"No, that's not what I meant, I wasn't..."_ Caroline stuttered

Damon tapped his foot sarcastically as he interrupted Caroline stumbling over her words _"I'm waiting..."_ he teased

Caroline rolled her eyes in exasperation _"Oh thank you Damon, how can I ever repay you"_ she said sarcastically _"Will that do?"_

 _"Maybe go a bit more damsel in distress"_ Damon laughed

 _"Seriously though, Damon, why go to all this trouble just for me?"_ she asked coyly

 _"I think that we both know why, do I need to spell it out for you - cause I kind of like a girl with a brain"_ Damon said

Caroline giggled as Damon leant in towards her and pressed his lips against hers. In that moment, he felt free and as though the weight of the last 6 years had been lifted - everything was simply and he was free to do as he pleased without a fear of retaliation or hurting his brother or all of the other things that he had caused the first time around.

Caroline pulled away _"Damon, we can't just leave him there"_ Caroline said seriously

 _"It's never simple with any of you people is it?_ Damon said exasperated as he pulled away from Caroline _"Get in the car, we'll go away and think of something"_

" _Go where?"_ Caroline asked

 _"Back to mine of course - isn't that where all the lady's end up?"_

Caroline shook her head as she climbed into Damon's car and headed back to the Salvatore's house to figure out a way to end all of this without anyone's life being sacrificed.

***Hope everyone's still enjoying the story - let me know if you like how it's going in the reviews :) xx ****


	12. Chapter 12 - Time to Come Clean?

" _I know Stefan_ " Elena said worriedly " _but we need a plan, because we all know that the last thing that Damon is going to do is put me in danger to save…._ "

A look of surprise came over Elena's face as the familiar blonde figure entered the large door of the boarding house.

" _Caroline_ " Elena finished, nervously tucking her flyaway brunette hair behind her ear, secretly hoping that Caroline had not heard the tail end of her conversation with Stefan. Caroline could be hard to deal with at the best of times and Elena knew that Caroline had took her little dalliance with Damon too seriously and mistook him using her to cause Elena's jealously as a sign of actual affection.

Damon followed through the doorway and stood close behind Caroline and it was clear from the look on his dark, handsome face that he had indeed heard Elena's comments although he remained silent as he steered Caroline toward the seating area in the parlor room of the house.

Elena and Damon remained motionless as Elena shot a panicked look at Stefan. Stefan simply raised an eyebrow as if to pass over the moment between the group as if it did not matter. However, Stefan couldn't help but notice how odd Elena had been acting ever since Damon had turned his attention towards Caroline. It were as if Elena were somehow jealous that Damon were no longer intently pursuing her affections.

Stefan headed towards where Caroline and his older brother were seated.

 _"Caroline"_ Stefan said, smiling at the blonde vampire _"I'm glad you're okay"_ he finished

 _"How is she okay?"_ Stefan enquired of Damon

 _"Right, her it comes, and this is going to be a little bit hard to grasp and a little hard for me to explain how I know, but just go with it , okay Brother?"_ Damon answered

A frown spread across Stefan's face. Damon didn't often make much sense, but just lately the things that he was saying made less and less sense. However, he nodded, keen to hear how Damon had managed to procure Caroline back to Klaus.

 _"Well, it turns out that Elena isn't the only doppelganger. Long story short, there was once an obnoxious twit and a really hot servant girl and they became the world's first immortals and in order to gain balance in nature, doppelgangers were created and yadda yadda yadda, so on and so forth"_ Damon rambled _"turns out, the servant girl looked like old Elena here and the obnoxious twit…well, he bore a striking resemblance to a certain younger brother of mine"_ Damon said, raising his eyebrow sarcastically toward his younger brother.

 _"You're trying to tell me that I'm a doppelganger?"_ Stefan scoffed

Damon fished into the pocket of his tight denim jeans and pulled out an item which he threw across to Stefan. Stefan caught in and surveyed a lanyard identity badge from Atlanta Hospital. The ID belonged to a 'Tom Avery' and as Stefan studied his features, it was like looking into a mirror.

 _"Klaus doesn't specifically need Elena"_ Damon continued _"He needs a doppelganger. This guy is a doppleganger and badda bing badda boom, no one dies"_

 _"Apart from that guy"_ Elena interjected, gesturing towards the lanyard in Stefan's hand.

 _"Oh please don't YOU start giving me the puppy eyes_ !" Damon said to Elena _"I've already been through this with carebear – you, her or him – I'd choose him any day"_

 _"It doesn't work like that!"_ Elena argued

 _"Actually"_ Stefan interrupted _"He's right"_

Caroline and Elena started open mouthed at Stefan who continued to study the ID badge with a stern look on his face.

 _"What!"_ Elena asked Stefan

 _"It's a hard call to make – but if we have to choose between you guys and a total stranger then…I think Damon made the right call"_ Stefan answered

 _"I can't believe that you would…"_ Elena started

 _"Ok, Stefan hangs up his hero hair and actually does something logical!"_ Damon said, with a hint of self-righteousness in his voice _"welcome to the real world, brother, it's nice to have you here"_

" _No one asked for your opinion"_ Elena shot at Damon

 _"Oh, no one needs to ask for it"_ Damon smirked _"I enjoy giving…..it warms me right here"_ Damon said, sarcastically rubbing his chest to motion his heart.

A look of rage shot across Elena's face. _"Fine, make jokes"_ Elena said angrily _"but, I'm not going to let this happen"_

 _"And what is it that you plan to do about it?"_ Damon said, a hint of seriousness entering his light hearted tone " _Oh yes, as we have discussed previously, you will jump in at the deep end, get yourself into trouble and then this guy will end up dying anyway along with your friends and then you will spend the rest of eternity boo hooing about how you should have listened to me in the first place – how about we cut out the middle man"_ Damon's voice raised into an angry shout as Elena stood motionless.

 _"OK Damon"_ Stefan interjected, stepping between the two _"That's enough"_

Stefan took Elena by the shoulders and steered her towards the door.

 _"Why don't you head home"_ Stefan suggested to Elena _"I'll see what I can do about all this"_ Stefan directed his head back towards where Damon stood.

Elena said nothing, simply grabbed her jacket from the stair bannister and stormed out of the front door towards her car.

Stefan headed back to where his brother stood.

 _"I'm sorry"_ Damon said jokingly " _did I get you into trouble with the MRS?"_

Stefan didn't dignify Damon's sarcasm with a reply and stood locked in eye contact with his elder brother.

 _"You have to admit"_ Damon continued _"you would have done the same thing in my shoes"_

" _She just wants everyone to get a good outcome that's all Damon, it's in her nature"_ Stefan protested

 _"Yes, I know, but she needs to take off the rose tinted glasses and see that that ain't always possible. If I hadn't have gone to find….."_

 _"How did you know where to find another doppelganger?"_ Stefan interrupted _"How did you even know that I was a doppelganger?"_

 _"That's a long story"_ Damon answered quickly

 _"I've got time"_ Stefan answered

 _"It's a hard one to explain"_ Damon said, trying to avoid the subject he motioned towards Caroline.

 _"Hey"_ Damon said to Caroline _"Why don't you head upstairs and get yourself cleaned up. We can head back to your mom's house and see if we can't get you that invite"_

Caroline smiled and nodded, keen to escape that tension that sizzled between the two brothers. Caroline knew that Stefan was not going to give this up and he would do whatever it took to get an answer out of Damon.

 _"There's some of Elena's stuff in my room if you need fresh clothes"_ Stefan added, keen to be alone with his older brother.

Caroline nodded again and headed towards Stefan's room.

Stefan watched as Caroline headed away and turned back towards Damon " _So"_ he demanded _"what is up with you? What's going on?"_

Damon faced his brother and inhaled deeply. Damon now had a decision to make. Should he continue to make a charade of this whole thing or should he tell his little brother everything. A part of Damon was keen to tell Stefan of the man that he had become in just a few short years and to warn him of the dangers and risks that the future held for him but Damon didn't have any clue as to what outcome him telling Stefan could have. After all, Damon still wasn't sure how he had gotten here. How would he explain all of that to Stefan without sounding like an absolute lunatic? Would Stefan even believe him if he did tell him?

Damon dug into the pocket of his jeans and dug out his mobile phone – the only link that he had to real life and surveyed the background picture –a very happy looking him and Elena at Ric's wedding – it was clear that they were in love and best of all – they stood aside a plaque which read ' _Alaric and Josette – May 2013_ ". He took a deep breath – now was the time to decide – did he tell Stefan the truth or not?


	13. Chapter 13

Damon awoke with an intense throbbing inside his skull, his back propped up against a cold wall and darkness engulfing his surroundings, as he came to a tiny pinprick of light entered his vision and the world slowly came back into view.

 _"Hello sleepy head"_ Damon heard a familiar voice taunt. As Damon lifted his head, his felt a surge of pain and the warmth of his own blood run down his face. He reached towards his head to investigate, but found his arms restricted by the vervain soaked chains that held his arms above him.

 _"What do you want, Katherine?"_ Damon asked flatly _"I'm not really into all this"_ he mocked, suggestively tipping his head towards the chains. Damon tried to conceal the extreme pain that he was in with his usual sarcastic tone.

 _"Well, you see"_ Katherine started, striding across the room towards the restrained Salvatore brother _"When you delivered your little plan B to Klaus, it didn't stop the fact that he needs a vampire and a werewolf for his little ritual – Mason is the obvious choice for the wolf, guess who came as part of the package"_

Damon smiled a weak smile at Katherine. Rage crossed her face as he did so and she sped towards Damon, wrapping a strong fist around his beating heart as she looked directly into his eyes.

 _"The only thing stopping me from tearing your heart out right now"_ Katherine spat _"Is the fact that I'm going to trade my place for you, but carrying on PISSING ME OFF…"_

Katherine voice raised further as she twisted Damon's heart and Damon let out a groan of agony

 _"There are other vampires that I can exchange for you…..little blonde vampires"_ Katherine finished.

Damon struggled, trying to free himself from Katherine's grip. He maintained a hatred filled gaze with the brunette beauty as he did so and anger seared through at the mention of Caroline.

Katherine released Damon's heart and wiped her blood smeared hand against Damon's dark shirt and took a step back.

 _"God, she really has got to you hasn't she?"_ Katherine asked

Damon remained silent, only staring at Katherine with the same intense hatred and rage.

 _"Oh, come on Damon"_ Katherine feigned pleading _"Talk to me. It's been so long – I'd say we're overdue a catch up"_

Damon maintained his silence further.

Katherine stepped back towards Damon.

 _"Go ahead"_ Damon broke his silence _"We both know that you're not going to kill me"_

 _"Oh no, I'm not going to"_ Katherine said sweetly _"I want to know what you were going to tell Stefan"_

Damon struggled as Katherine plunged the needle into his neck. He knew that once he was unconscious and the vervain was in his system, Katherine would be able to enter his mind. Though Damon could try to resist Katherine, he was weak and didn't know how long he would be able to hold her off. His struggle was to no avail though, and he felt the world drift back into darkness as the cool string of the vervain filled his blood stream.

As Damon's re-opened his eyes, he knew that it was not the real world that he was seeing. He stood in the Salvatore boarding house and all was quiet – too quiet – Damon knew exactly where he was.

 _"So where is this then?"_ Katherine strode into Damon's view _"Where is everyone"_

" _This is May 10, 1994"_ Damon answered honestly

 _"Oh, boring"_ Katherine remarked _"Why would you're mind immediately wonder to 1994?"_ she asked

 _"My mind always comes back here"_ Damon answered solemnly

 _"Why?"_ Katherine asked

 _"This is where I lost it all"_ Damon answered

Bonnie strode into Damon's view as she sat down at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, the same way she had done every morning during their time on the other side. Katherine's eyes narrowed in confusion as she surveyed the Bennett witch.

 _"Well, you're clearly lying"_ Katherine said in an accusing tone _"Bonnie wouldn't be around in 1994"_

Damon pulled away from Katherine, trying desperately to free his mind of her presence. But as he fought against her, his wounds from reality started seeping into his sleep state, as the blood began to pound from his forehead, he collapsed to the floor in a heap. Katherine stood over him victoriously.

 _"Let's go somewhere else"_ Katherine said, reaching her hands towards Damon and pressing her cool hands against his burning temples.

Damon's vision flashed and there she was right in front of him, Elena. Elena stretched towards Damon in a loving embrace and planted a warm lasting kiss on his lips. Elena rolled over and climbed out of bed. As she pulled on her robe and headed downstairs, Damon rolled over touching his lips as if to preserve the memory of her kiss. Here in his mind, it all felt so real. However, his euphoria was interrupted as the vision of Katherine climbed into bed next to him. Damon pulled the crisp white sheets up to his neck, defending his modesty.

 _"Oooh"_ Katherine cooed dramatically _"So THIS is what you needed to tell Stefan!"_

 _"You don't understand the half of it"_ Damon answered

Damon again tried to expel Katherine from his mind but again to no avail as the pain of the vervain and his injuries took over and Katherine entered further into his mind and memories.

That's when she found it, Katherine had found Damon's least favourite and most favourite memory all in the same place. It was the day that Elena had finally found happiness and still chose to come back to him and then fate had dealt the cruel hand that had ripped her away from him.

Katherine stared around the room in confusion and dismay as she surveyed the people present and the clearly dated invitations that lay on the table in front of her.

 _"2013"_ she said quietly to herself _"but that's not…."_

Damon heard a familiar voice calling from all around his mind and Katherine's head whipped back dramatically and disappeared from view.

 _"Damon"_ Caroline called urgently as she ran across the room to where Damon was chained.

Katherine came to and flung herself towards Caroline, but Stefan sped through the room and knocked her to the floor.

Caroline freed Damon from his restrictions and he breathed an audible sigh of relief as he massaged his still bleeding hands.

He looked down at Katherine, who looked up at him, the look of confusion still planted on her face.

 _"Damon, what the hell was that!"_ Katherine demanded _"How were you there, that's just not possible!"_

 _"I have no idea what you're talking about"_ Damon said, a smirk spreading across his face

 _"Don't play games with me!"_ Katherine shouted

 _"Would I ever"_ Damon retorted as he picked Katherine up off the floor and shoved his hand into her chest, turning the tables with her heart now gripped in his hands _"There's nothing stopping me from tearing your heart out"_ Damon taunted

" _Damon"_ Stefan said urgently

Damon held his hand out toward Stefan, requesting him to stay back.

 _"Now, I promise not to kill her"_ Damon said to Stefan, his eyes still locked on Katherine's terrified gaze _"We just need to have a quiet word, could you give us the room please"_

 _"Da…."_ Stefan started

 _"The room please"_ Damon raised his voice.

Stefan gestured towards Caroline and they both left Damon and Katherine alone.

Damon reached toward the vervain needle that lay half full on the floor and planted the needle directly in Katherine's neck. As she slipped into unconsciousness, Damon placed his hand on her and entered her mind.

 _"Well, you're not going to find anything in here"_ Katherine said to Damon

 _"Oh, I know"_ Damon smirked _"There's still something that I need to show you"_

Damon placed his hand on Katherine's and invited her into his mind as images flashed through of the Katherine that Damon had known, Katherine being force fed the cure to vampirism, Katherine being drained by Silas and Katherine slowly descending into an accelerated old age until ultimately dying.

Katherine pulled away from Damon, terror in her eyes.

 _"Now"_ Damon began _"You tell ANYONE about what you saw, I can ensure that that all plays out the way that it did the first time around. You play ball and keep quiet….I might be able to tweak a few things. Got it?"_

Katherine nodded silently, still terrified from the images that swam through her mind.

 _"Oh, and if you go anywhere near Caroline, I'll make sure that it plays out MUCH worse"_ Damon said in a terrifying and foreboding tone.

Damon took a step back and disappeared from view.

Back in reality, Damon stepped away from Katherine's unconscious body and strolled out of the room triumphantly.


	14. Chapter 14 - Bad Dreams

Damon lay quietly in bed, basking in the silence after all he had endured that day. As his eyes closed and he slipped away into sleep, he was plagued by images of violence and horror, blood-stained bodies and screams.

In his dream, Damon found himself stumbling through the cold wet emptiness, his clothes saturated in the blood of dozens, if not hundreds of, innocent victims. He looks across the dark and locked eyes with Enzo, they each smiled a soulless cold smile as they continued through the dark.

Suddenly, Damon found himself back in 1994, sitting across from his best friend, Bonnie. What Damon had told Katherine had been true, in dreams this was always where he found himself and he was relieved to be away from the brief moment that he had just encountered. Even in dream, he had felt his lack of humanity and compassion and the sheer evil that ran through his veins.

 _"Damon you have to go back"_ Bonnie demanded urgently

 _"Go back?"_ Damon questioned _"I can't go back – I don't know how – and besides, even if I did, I'm making everything right again Bon-Bon"_

 _"No, Damon, you're not – you are here – at least your SOUL is here – but your body, and Enzo's, the monster that inhabits your bodies at least, is still out there Damon. You need to go back, take control of your body again and stop this"_

 _"Bonnie, that's ridiculous, this is just some weird trippy dream"_ Damon mocked

 _"It's not Damon, I found a witch who was able to send me to you, but I can't stay long – you have to come home"_ Bonnie pleaded

 _"Bonnie, I don't know how!"_ Damon said frustrated _"and here it's different, I can't leave….."_

 _"I know it must be hard having Elena back, Damon, but it's not real"_ Bonnie said apologetically " _You've just disappeared into your own subconscious – you're not really there"_

 _"It feels real Bon"_ Damon said, emotion seeping into his voice

 _"Please, Damon, you have to believe me"_ Bonnie said

 _"Why?"_ Damon said menacingly

 _"Damon?"_ Bonnie said cautiously

 _"Why do I have to believe you?"_ Damon said angrily _"You're telling me that it's not real, but what if you're not real – well, you're not really here are you? And if you're not real I don't have to listen to this"_

Damon stood and reached across the counter towards Bonnie's chest and reached in, holding her beating heart in his hands.

 _"No, Damon, I'm not HERE, but I'm real"_ Bonnie said in short shallow gasps _"You need to believe me Damon, you NEED to come home, we need you, I need you"_ Bonnie pleaded

 _"You don't need me"_ Damon said angrily _"You just need me to come back so that you can find a way to get your boyfriend back"_

 _"What?"_ Bonnie said confused

 _"You find a way to get me back – hey presto, you have the answer to getting Enzo back. No thanks Bon, I'm not going back to that"_ Damon said, squeezing Bonnie's heart tighter

 _"No, Damon, I'm not trying to get Enzo back, I mean, I am, but I need you back, I don't know where Enzo is"_ Bonnie pleaded

 _"You just said that this witch found a way to send you to us"_ Damon said suspiciously

 _"It was a onetime only deal"_ Bonnie answered

 _"and you came to me"_ Damon said, his voice softening

 _"Yes, Damon"_ Bonnie said smiling weakly " _of course I came to you, you're my best friend"_

 _"Big mistake, Bon-Bon"_ Damon said, the menace returning to his voice _"Because I'm not coming back"_

Damon wrenched Bonnie's heart from her chest and she disappeared from site. Damon gasped as he awoke in his bed.

Caroline flipped over urgently.

 _"What happened?"_ Caroline asked panicked

 _"Nothing"_ Damon answered " _Just a bad dream"_

 _"What was it about?"_ Caroline asked concerned as she leant back into Damon's chest.

 _"Nothing important"_ Damon answered " _Just go back to sleep"_

Damon planted a kiss on Caroline's head as she turned back over and nestled into the pillow. Damon leant in behind and placed his arms around her.

 _"Just a dream"_ Damon repeated as he too closed his eyes as he held tightly to Caroline.

 ****I'm sort of heading in a new direction to incorporate the season 7 finale, so would appreciate your views in the reviews section. Thanks Guys :) ****


	15. Chapter 15 - A Living Nightmare

Damon lay still in the darkness, feeling the rise and fall of Caroline's deep breathing as she slept. He tried to focus on anything to keep him from falling asleep, but he knew that sleep would eventually come and inevitably it did.

Damon returned to the world that he had seen previously; mounted bodies lay in his wake, each more grotesque and horrific than the next. Damon had never been one to be squeamish about these things, but the sheer magnitude of violence made his stomach turn.

Damon made his way to a nearby bar and disposed of its inhabitants swiftly as he made his way over to the counter – blood and bodies fell in his wake. Damon could feel the humanity slipping from him the further that he went into the dream – he felt as if he were fighting against his own conscious, trapped inside his own head and screaming at himself to stop what he was doing. As Damon tore the beating heart from his final victim, he made his way over to the washroom. As he reviewed his own blood smeared reflection, a familiar face that he knew as his own smirked a menacingly smile at him.

" _What are you doing, stop this!"_ Damon demanded of his own reflection

The smirk remained on Damon's reflection as his stare bore into his own eyes.

 _"What is going on – why can't you hear me – I'm YOU! STOP!"_ Damon demanded more urgently

Again, the smirk remained in Damon's foreign reflection. Damon watched his own hand raise without his instruction and slam with superhuman strength towards the mirror. As the reflective glass shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, Damon found himself being dragged back to the present.

 _"Damon, what's wrong?"_ Caroline asked urgently, leaning over Damon.

Damon sat up quickly, brushing his thick dark hair from his face and mopping the sweat that had accumulated on his brow from the sheer terror of his dream.

 _"Just a bad dream"_ Damon answered

 _"Another one?"_ Caroline asked, concern showing in her voice _"Damon, what is going on? Are you okay?"_

Damon felt an undeniable sense of anger overcome him, albeit unexplained, as he turned to Caroline, his face set in a scowl.

 _"I said it was a dream"_ Damon answered angrily _"Now drop it"_

Damon could see Caroline trying to find the words to apologise for provoking the response, but before she had time, he was out of bed and heading towards the bathroom. Damon slammed the door behind him and leant against the counter, finding solace in the cool marble against his clammy hands. He again looked up at his reflection and was relieved to find a familiar image starting back at him.

 _"See, just a dream"_ Damon muttered to himself reassuringly as he reached towards the cold tap and turned. He breathed an audible sigh of relief as the cool water hit his damp skin. He looked up and reached for his razor and began clearing the overnight stubble that ornamented his face. As he stroked the cold steel against his face, he again met his own gaze only this time he felt horror and dread strike as he was again greeted by the mischevious smile of the Damon that he had encountered in his dream. His eyes grew dark, surrounded by the blood that surged through his veins and he felt his fangs bulge, sending surges of pain through his gums. He watched as the reflection showed his true form, his vampire form, as razor like fangs protruded from his thin lips and his eyes continued to surge.

Damon willed himself to calm down, to stop what he was seeing, but as much as he willed it, it did not happen. The monstrous form before him just stood unmoving and unchanging. Anger and frustration filled Damon to his core as he watched helplessly, a prisoner in his own body. Damon screamed in frustration as he surged all the power that he could fathom toward his own hand. He felt a flurry of glee and triumph as his hand raised and slammed towards the bathroom, just as his counterpart had done in the dream.

Damon gained control of his own body and breathed a sigh of relief as he leant against the counter once again, breathing deeply and trying to calm himself and regain his composure.

 _"What the hell is going on in here?"_ Caroline demanded, both angry and concerned. Her face fell as she was greeted by the scene of Damon, his hand covered in his own blood, surrounded by the broken shards of what was once the bathroom mirror.

 _"Damon, what happened?"_ Caroline asked

Damon searched for an answer, any answer that would explain why he had felt the need to vandalise his own bathroom mirror. He could find none, he stood simply staring at Caroline who waited impatiently in front of him.

 _"Let me guess"_ Caroline said frustrated _"Bad dream? Damon you need to tell me what the hell is going on with you!"_ both concern and frustration oozed from Caroline's sweet voice.

 _"I can't"_ Damon answered _"I have no idea what's going on"_

Caroline stepped towards Damon and placed a reassuring hand against his face. Damon pressed his warm olive skin against Caroline's cool hand, finding relief in her touch. Caroline smiled at Damon and he returned the gesture.

 _"Just talk to me"_ Caroline said softly

Damon looked up at Caroline and smiled softly but Caroline stepped back cautiously as his face changed, anger flashing across it as he reached toward her and forced her neck unnaturally to the right until an audible crunch sounded and Caroline fell to the floor. Damon caught a glimpse of his own menacingly reflection in one of the blood stained shards of mirror that lay on the floor and watched helplessly as Caroline fell to the ground, lifeless.

 _"Oh my god, Caroline"_ Damon muttered urgently as he reached towards the Blonde vampire's limp form. Damon cradled Caroline's body, scooping it up and walked her calmly back to the bedroom and placed her on the cool cotton sheets.

 _"What the hell is going on with me?"_ Damon asked concerned.

An image of Damon's best friend flashed before his eyes as he recalled something else that Bonnie had said to him during his first dream.

 _"Now that I've managed to get through, so will he"_ Bonnie advised

 _"Who?"_ Damon scoffed

 _"You, Damon, the real you, he's going to find a way through to you – he will want total control of your body – he won't want the risk of you breaking back through and ruining his plans – he'll be prepared and he will get to you before you can get to him"_ Bonnie said urgently

Damon looked down at Caroline's body that lay still on the bed.

 _"No"_ Damon whispered to himself " _I've just drove myself loopy with some dream and I need to get a grip"_

But the expression on Damon's face did not reflect his words. Damon's face was filled with concern and dread as he watched Caroline and hoped upon hope that he was right, dreading how much harm that he could pose to Caroline and everyone else around him.

 ***** Thanks for all the reviews so far guys - keep them coming and let me know what you think :) ******


	16. Chapter 16 - Intruder

Weeks passed and Damon continued to live life as best as he could, as normally as he could but each time he closed his eyes, the other reality seeped further into his subconscious. Damon had had moments where he dreamt only of killing the entire population of Mystic Falls, including those that inhabited the Salvatore boarding house with him. Damon tethered onto his affections for Caroline, he used her as his anchor to the reality in which he was determined to remain. Damon repeatedly convinced himself that his dreams were an undesirable consequence of the spell that had brought him back, never allowing himself to believe that he had become the monster that he saw when he closed his eyes and more and more, when he looked in the mirror. Damon had begun avoiding his own reflection at all costs, when he locked eyes with the man in the mirror, that is when the change in his psyche would begin and he couldn't risk it.

As dusk grew close, Damon began his daily regime of trying to keep himself awake through drink and distraction.

 _"Hey"_ Caroline chirped as she greeted Damon, who stood idly in the library of the Salvatore boarding house _"What ya doin"_ she said happily in sing song, as she wrapped her hands round his waste.

Damon smiled, placing his glass of bourbon on the side as he turned towards Caroline.

 _"Just thinkin'"_ Damon answered as his lips pressed briefly against Caroline's.

 _"About?..."_ Caroline enquired

 _"Nothing important"_ Damon answered swiftly, as he pulled away from Caroline and collected his glass from the side and headed towards the doorway.

 _"Bye then"_ Caroline said, mildly offended

 _"I'm sorry, was there something you wanted"_ Damon asked moodily, his attitude changing in an instant.

Damon struggled inside his own head, as he had repeatedly over the weeks since the dreams had started. He struggled to hold onto himself, to retain possession of his own body and not let the monster in.

Hurt registered in Caroline's eyes momentarily.

 _"No, Damon, I don't want anything"_ Caroline said disappointed _"I don't know what is wrong without, over these past couple of weeks you've been acting so strange – one minute you're fine, the next minute you're not"_

 _"I'm fine, Caroline"_ Damon reassuring, struggling to gain control _"Just being my regular brooding self"_ he quipped

 _"It's not a joke, Damon"_ Caroline said pulling away from Damon's advances _"You've been walking up screaming for weeks now and you won't talk to me about it, or Stefan, god, even Elena has tried to talk to you and we've got nothing – Please, Damon, PLEASE talk to me"_ Caroline pleaded.

 _"Really, nothing to talk about"_ Damon answered abruptly as he took a seat.

 _"Fine"_ Caroline said defeated _"I'm going to bed"_

 _"You don't need to tell me twice"_ Damon quipped, placing his glass on the table and standing up.

 _"No, Damon"_ Caroline said sternly _"I'm going home – I'm tired of you lying to me"_

" _Caroline, I'm not…"_ Damon started, but before he could finish his sentence, the beautiful blonde had left, slamming the door behind her.

Damon landed back down onto his seated, defeated as he lay back and nursed the glass in his hands. Before long, sleep came, as it always inevitably did and Damon was returned to his nightmares. Body hung above him in a blood stained room. The smell of blood was overpowering and Damon could feel the hunger surging through his body.

Damon felt a shift in the wind behind him and spun on his heel. He was greeted by a familiar face – one that had been finding its way into his dreams more and more over the past few days.

 _"Hello, Bon-Bon"_ Damon quipped

Bonnie simply smiled an apologetic smile.

 _"You ready to come home yet?"_ Bonnie asked sympathetically

 _"Nope"_ Damon replied quickly _"I am home, this is just another crazy nightmare"_

 _"Right, Damon"_ Bonnie replied _"The same nightmare that you have been having for weeks, right, I bet that it's starting to seep into your waking state now right?"_

 _"How do you know?"_ Damon said suspiciously " _are you even really Bonnie or just past of this weird crazy ass world that my screwed up mind has going on"_

 _"I'm real"_ Bonnie said " _So are all of the people that you are letting die, innocent people, hundreds of them"_

 _"It's not real"_ Damon repeated sternly at Bonnie

 _"Yes, it is Damon"_ Bonnie said sadly _"I know why you're not coming back – I know why you don't want to. I know that you can't face up to what you see in your nightmares, I know that you can't come back to a world without Elena, I heard the hope in your voice on the phone Damon….I heard you when you thought"_

 _"That she was alive"_ Damon finished

 _"She is alive"_ Bonnie answered " _She's just sleeping and when she wakes up…."_

 _"You'll be gone"_ Damon said seriously

 _"I know that it's tempting to stay in world where Elena is, but it's all in your head Damon" Bonnie_ pleaded

 _"It's not, Bonnie, I don't believe you"_ Damon said, anger surging into his voice _"What I feel is REAL, it's not in my head"_

 _"Your feelings for Elena are real, of course they are"_ Bonnie apologised

 _"It's not Elena"_ Damon started

 _"You're not with Elena?"_ Bonnie asked

 _"No, Bonnie, I'm not with Elena"_ Damon answered

Bonnie stepped towards Damon.

 _"What are you doing?"_ Damon asked, alarmed

 _"If you're resisting your memories of Elena, I'll bet that's why you've found it so easy not to come back"_ Bonnie explained as she pressed her hands down onto Damon's shoulder.

Damon saw images of him and Elena flash before him – moments in his life that he had held onto for a long time – some of the happiest moments of his life; the first time Elena told him that she loved him, kissing in the rain and them finding their way back to each other, despite all odds.

Damon pulled away from Bonnie.

" _Hold onto that, Damon"_ Bonnie said as she stepped back " _and come home, your mind doesn't belong here – it belongs home with us, with me, with Stefan, with Elena"_

Damon looked across the room at Bonnie and then again surveyed his violent surroundings.

 _"I can't come back, Bonnie"_ Damon pleaded, emotion creeping into his set face _"I can't come home to this, how could I…?"_ Damon asked, misery filling his eyes as he cast them over the bodies that adorned the room around him.

 _"This isn't your fault"_ Bonnie said reassuringly _"none of this is and we can make it better"_

 _"Can you bring all these people back"_ Damon said angrily, casting his hand around the room in illustration.

 _"Damon, please"_ Bonnie pleaded.

 _"No"_ Damon said sternly as he willed himself to wake up.

Damon's eyes opened abruptly and a sense of relief washed over him as he was greeted by the familiar surroundings of the Salvatore library. Damon felt an odd sensation against his arm, and turned to be greeted by the stunned face of his little brother.

 _"Hey, little bro"_ Damon said, regaining his composure _"What are you doing there?"_

As Damon sat up, Stefan slowly drew his hand away from his brother's arm. Damon's brow creased as the realisation dawned on him.

 _"Were you in my head?"_ Damon demanded

 _"Yes"_ Stefan answered _"and you have a lot of explaining to do"_


	17. Chapter 17 - Rescue Plans

Bonnie sat crossed legged on the cold dark wooden floor of the Salvatore Boarding House and breathing a sigh of disappointment as she opened her eyes.

"What happened?" Stefan questioned, offering his hand to Bonnie and aiding her as she climbed to her feet 

"I only managed to get into his dreams again" Bonnie said disappointingly "We're going to have to use the idol"

"We don't even know what that thing is" Caroline interrupted, eyeing up the dark object that lay on the table before them "It is super creepy and how can we even trust the person that gave it to you?" 

"She's a witch, Caroline" Bonnie answered "She worked with the armory for years – she helped put that thing into its prison, she's the only hope that we have of getting Damon back"

"How do we even know that she's telling the truth about Damon?" Caroline countered "How do we know that he's trapped inside his own …..consciousness….thingy?" Caroline gestured her hands erratically trying to find the correct words. 

"I've seen it" Bonnie answered 

"Maybe it's not real" Caroline said, her voice rising as she attempted to convince Bonnie.

"It's real Caroline , it's real to Damon and I need to help him – I need to be able to project into his head – not just his dreams and the only way to do that is to use that thing" Bonnie said, gesturing towards the object on the table. 

"I still think is super creepy" Caroline trailed off "But if we have to, then let's do it" 

"That's the catch, I can't JUST use it" Bonnie emphasised "I need something to make it work"

"Always a catch" Stefan said exasperated "What do you need?"

"Damon's blood" /Bonnie answered skeptically 

"Oh great!" Caroline said frustrated "Let's just go ask him for some then shall we – 'Hi Damon, sorry to interrupt your crazy rage killings, how about a drop of blood'" 

"Damon's consciousness from this reality, the 'crazy rage killer'" Bonnie said locking eyes with Caroline and smiling "Is seeping into his inner consciousness more and more in the reality that he's currently in" 

"and….." Caroline said 

"and" Bonnie emphasised "the real Damon's consciousness has to go somewhere when that happens" 

Caroline looked blankly at Bonnie across the room, shrugging her shoulders in confusion. 

"and….." Bonnie started 

"You're hoping to catch a glimpse of Damon – the evil free Damon – whilst the evil presence is fighting to take over his subconscious" Stefan interrupted 

"Exactly" Bonnie smiled 

"How exactly do we know when that will happen?" Caroline asked 

"We don't" Bonnie answered "Which is why we need to get him back here, into the basement, so we can be here when he does"

"Well, that should be easy" Caroline muttered sarcastically under her breath

Bonnie looked over at Caroline, a look of comical annoyance on her face. 

"But seriously, Bonnie" Stefan said sternly "How exactly do you plan on bringing Damon in?"

"I called in an old friend" Bonnie said chirpily. 

A familiar figure entered the door of the Salvatore house as Stefan and Caroline smiled.

"Jeremy" Caroline said happily, embracing his tall muscular figure 

Jeremy smiled and reciprocated the gesture. 

"Heard you needed a hunter" Jeremy said with a smile as he dropped his overfilled bag to the floor.

 **PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS** **J**


	18. Chapter 18 - Out of Your Hands

A familiar figure stood unnoticed and hidden in the Salvatore Boarding House as the rest of the group greeted Jeremy warmly. Enzo slowed his heart and his breathing right down so as not to be noticed by the other heightened vampire senses in the room. Throughout his time under the thumb of the evil that lurked inside him, Enzo had learned to move unnoticed. He listened intently, trying to make out the conversation that unfolded in the distance, although he only managed to hear it partially from where he stood.

" _Enzo? Really"_ Jeremy said in disbelief and jest to Bonnie who returned with a familiar tilt of the head and a sarcastic smile.

" _Not really any of your business"_ Bonnie chimed sarcastically.

" _Uh, you broke up with me via voicemail and ended up with ENZO!"_ Jeremy answered, a hurtful tinge to his joking

 _"Anyway, that's not important, what's important is that we need to find him to find Damon"_ Stefan interrupted the banter that escalated between the two former lovers.

A tinge of sadness erupted in Enzo's chest as he listened to the group make their attempts to bring back Damon's humanity. He watched Bonnie's eyes fleet across the room as she tried to bring Enzo's humanity into the bargain – to little avail. It seemed that the rest of his friends were more involved with bringing Damon home.

Stefan explained the details of the armoury and the evil that had engulfed them to Jeremy, who listened intently as they formulated their plans to save their fallen friend.

Jeremy looked up at Bonnie

 _"Don't worry I'll find them….I'll find them both"_ Jeremy said to the disheartened witch. She smiled and stepped towards Jeremy, embracing him in a reassuring hug.

Enzo felt a surge of jealousy settle in his stomach – well, it's not every day that someone has to watch from a distance as their girl gets pally with their ex-boyfriend – an ex-boyfriend who just so happens to live a lifestyle that involves murdering your kind. Enzo pushed the evil that was surging towards the surface, clinging onto his anger. He focused on Bonnie's face from a distance, studied every familiar line of her face, the curve of her smile and the small glimmer of hope that remained in her eye – she knew that that hope was for him.

The other side of Enzo sat tentatively at the surface, desperately trying to break free. It told him that he was foolish to think that that look was for him, it instilled doubt into his mind and told him that Bonnie was only looking for one person, that it was as he had always doubted and feared, Bonnie only wanted to find Damon.

Enzo shook his head as if to figuratively shake the vile thoughts away. That is what the spirit that lived inside of him did, to control you, it took your deepest fears, worries, doubts and brought them to the surface until you had no choice but to flip your humanity switch and do its bidding, but Enzo refused to let go without a fight. His true self was breaking through more and more now, more than Damon's that had retreated to his own subconscious world!

Enzo had a plan to rid himself of this cruel beast though –to return his humanity, or what he had originally. He had invested in the services of a witch who would draw the spirit from them. Enzo suspected that she had her own agenda with the beast once they were rid of it, but a selfish part of him did not care. Ariane had offered him a way out of this putrid existence and he intended to take it.

Enzo had hoped that coming back to the Salvatore house would somehow lead him to Damon – once Damon, the Damon had he had disappeared with, the Damon infected by the cruel being that now tortured his life, once he had noticed Enzo's humanity breaking through more and more, he had distanced himself. Enzo had tried to reach out, to bring the real Damon through to the surface, but the evil's hold on Damon was too strong. The truth of the matter was that Enzo had something in the real world to hang onto to fight for – his love for Bonnie – Damon had nothing. He had been woken from a purposeful desiccation to help his brother run from a hunter and had been lured to his possession by his undeniable desperation to find Elena. Enzo was going to have a very difficult ask trying to convince Damon to return to his true reality.

Enzo had gained the information that he had come for as he listened to Stefan's explanation of events. It turns out that Damon's subconscious when he broke free was returning to the past rather than the present – perhaps in a last stitch attempt to return to when he was once truly happy. Enzo exited the property stealthy with one last lungful glance back at his love. His heart ached watching Bonnie from afar, seeing how troubled she was by his disappearance, but Enzo knew that getting close to her whilst this thing had a hold on his humanity was not an option, it simply was not safe.

Enzo sighed a sigh of relief as he reached the woods of Mystic Falls. He stumbled back startled as Ariane appeared as if from nowhere in front of him. Her dark cloak brushed through the dirt and bark that lined the floor and the smell of nature attacked Enzo's senses.

 _"Steady there love, nearly jumped out of my skin!"_ Enzo said in a thick British accent

 _"What are you doing here"_ Ariane demanded angrily _"Do you know what could have happened if one of them would have seen you"_ she gestured towards the Salvatore's house

 _"I'm trying to get a lead on where Damon is"_ Enzo said

 _"Did you find anything out?"_ Ariane asked intrigued

 _"When Damon breaks through from this thing"_ Enzo gestured towards himself as if to highlight the evil spirit that lived inside of him _"instead of coming back to the present, like I do, he is disappearing into…what did they call it…his subconscious"_

 _"When?"_ Ariane asked simply

 _"What do you mean when?"_ Enzo asked confused

 _"Did they mention a place, or a time, where Damon was going to"_

 _"I think that they said 2010?"_ Enzo answered begrudgingly _"Why does that matter?"_

" _If Damon has linked to the past and you link with him, there's a chance that the incantation could link us to the wrong temporal link"_ Ariane said worried

 _"You mean – we could TIME TRAVEL – that's impossible"_ Enzo scoffed

 _"Many would think that coming back from being murdered by one of the original vampires was impossible and yet, here I am"_ Ariane said sternly " _Damon's spirit already has a link with the past from his time spent in the prison world – there is a chance that he has made a true link to that time period and if that's the case then when we link with Damon – it will be his choice"_

" _What will be his choice?"_ Enzo asked worried

 _"He will need to decide whether to invoke the spirit that controls you over to me and return to the real world, or whether to link with the timeline that he currently believes he exists in – whichever he chooses, is where you will go"_ Ariane explained

 _"Are you telling me that I could end up in 2010?"_ Enzo questioned _"That can't happen – Bonnie, my Bonnie, she….she won't….."_ Enzo's voice trailed off

 _"We either do it this way or the spirit remains, the choice is yours, but ultimately the choice of where you end up once you have your humanity back – that is up to your friend"_ Ariane explained _"I'm afraid that the decision is out of your hands"_

 ** _Hi Guys, I would appreciate any reviews on whether you like the story or not :) Many thanks xx_**


	19. Chapter 19 - Never Going Back

Damon clenched his fists as rage bubbled to the surface. He stood facing his younger brother, a glint of betrayal in his eye.

 _"I think that you have some explaining to do!"_ Damon said angrily _"What the hell do you think you're playing at! You don't just pop into other people's heads Stefan!"_

 _"You have been acting strange for weeks now, I wanted to help"_ Stefan protested

 _"Oh always an excuse isn't there, Stefan"_ Damon said sarcastically _"the wrong thing done for the right reason is still the wrong thing, brother!"_

Damon breathed out a long exasperated sigh, as if attempting to cleanse himself of the rage that engulfed him. A part of him was truly betrayed by Stefan's actions, the other part was terrified of what Stefan had seen.

 _"What did you see?"_ Damon requested calmly

 _"Not much"_ Stefan lied _"Just Bonnie and blood, lots of it"_

 _"Tell me the truth"_ Damon demanded more urgently this time

 _"Everything, Damon"_ Stefan said sternly " _I saw everything"_

 _"Then I guess it's time to come clean"_ Damon said _"There are two options here – Number 1, you're not real, none of this is real, it's just some kooky reality made up in my head disguising the fact that I have finally lost the plat and gone on a ripper rampage"_

Damon's eyes narrowed as he explained the scenario to his younger brother. He continued, his tone more rushed and urgent as he did so.

 _"Or, Number 2, I've gone kooky here and I'm having dreams about another alternate reality – one that is breaking through and making me want to hurt people – people I love"_ Damon looked as the floor ashamedly _"either way little bro, it ain't good"_ Damon finished

 _"So if we're not real – what reality are you from?"_ Stefan asked sceptically

 _"Oh, this one"_ Damon said pointing towards the floor _"Just a few years further forward"_

 _"So, WHERE are you from them?"_ Stefan asked, his scepticism growing

 _"2016"_ Damon answered

 _"and how is life in 2016?"_ Stefan mocked

 _"pretty shitty – for me"_ Damon remarked _"for you, swimmingly, you just got your gal back and you're about to ride off into the sunset"_

 _"Back – what do you mean back – me and Elena have broken up in 2016"_ Stefan asked

 _"Oh no, not Elena"_ Damon smirked _"that ship sailed long ago"_

" _Damon, you are literally making NO sense"_ Stefan remarked exasperated

 _"Well, how do I explain 6 years in one conversation!"_ Damon said frustrated _"A lot has changed Stefan, gosh, even me and you act like brothers in 2016! Some would say the world is a bit backwards"_ Damon smirked

 _"See, now I know that you're crazy"_ Stefan joked

Stefan stepped towards his older brother. A look of concern passed over his face. Stefan was not sure what to think. When faced with the possibility that either his brother had gone crazy or the possibility that he himself was just a figment of his brother's imagination – Stefan did not know what to do.

Stefan placed his hands on his brother's shoulder and motioned him towards the sofa that he had previously been lying on.

 _"In all seriousness , Damon"_ Stefan said calmly " _Why don't you show me"_

Damon nodded solemnly and closed his eyes as he felt his younger brother's presence enter his mind.

Images from the past few years flooded through Damon's mind like a story book. Starting from meeting Elena, to her rescue from Klaus, to Stefan's disappearance, to Elena's death and her becoming a vampire, to Elena finally admitting her love for him, Silas and the cure, the travellers, his time spent with Bonnie in the prison world, the sleeping curse that was placed on Elena and their run from Rayna Cruz including Damon's desiccation, Caroline's pregnancy, Stefan's time with Valarie.

Stefan watched with horror as the last image played through his mind. He walked alongside Damon as Damon entered the vault of the armoury and was faced with the thing that now held residence in his soul and mind.

Stefan pulled away from Damon, catching his breath.

Damon sat up and ran his hands through his dark hair.

 _"See what I mean"_ Damon said sheepishly _"A LOT has happened"_

Stefan did not answer, he simply nodded as he made sense of what he had just seen.

 _"So from what I heard you say to Bonnie"_ Stefan started _"You don't want to go home because you're scared"_ Stefan asked

 _"the Damon I know isn't scared of anything"_ Stefan said with a grin

 _"The Damon that you know didn't have much of his humanity left and not much hope for anything"_ Damon said _"the Damon I am, well, I had it all, I had Elena, I had my friends, I had you"_ Damon said smiling as he looked up at his little brother _"and that was all taken from me"_

" _You can get it all back"_ Stefan said gently " _You just have to keep fighting for it"_ Stefan squeezed Damon's hand in reassurance

 _"You say that now"_ Damon answered _"But back then, I mean forward then"_ Damon smiled _"you'll never forgive me – I left you, I left you to Rayna because I was too much of a coward"_

 _"Just give me time, just keep being this Damon"_ Stefan gestured towards his older brother _"and in time, we'll get it back"_

 _"A world with an Elena-less Damon, just isn't a very good world"_ Damon said sadly

 _"You're Elena-less here, and, from this conversation alone, you're the best version of my brother that I have known in over a century"_ Stefan smiled

 _"What about Caroline?"_ Damon interjected the moment

 _"What about Caroline?"_ Stefan asked.

 _"I go back to reality and Caroline is, well, she's with you"_ Damon smirked

 _"I can kind of see a trend emerging"_ Stefan retorted to his older brother

 _"But you need to ask yourself, do you want to give up all that you've worked for, all that you've become for a reality that isn't your own or do you want to go back and fight for it, fight this thing that has overcome you because I know that you can do it"_ Stefan squeezed his brother's hand _"If you can overcome the demons that you had back when you first came back to town, you can overcome anything"_

 _"Elena made me that person"_ Damon said bluntly " _and if I go back, she's not there"_

 _"But she is Damon, if you're just patient and you wait for her"_ Stefan answered

 _"and then what?"_ Damon said, frustration rising in his voice _"It's a trade-off between losing my best friend and gaining my girlfriend – it's an impossible choice"_

 _"And now Bonnie is with Enzo and I thought that…."_ Damon began

" _You thought what?"_ Stefan asked

 _"It doesn't matter"_ Damon answered

Damon felt the room begin to spin as he lay back on the sofa trying to steady himself.

 _"Damon"_ Stefan said reaching towards his hand _"I know that it's easier to escape here, but you have to come back to us"_

 _"Come back"_ Damon stammered confused _"you're not….this Stefan"_ Damon struggled to find his voice

 _"No, Damon, it's me, your brother, your REAL brother, and I need you"_ Stefan pleaded _"please hold on to that, Damon, come home"_

Damon gave in to his consciousness and awoke _to_ a panicked Caroline trying to rouse him.

 _"Damon"_ Caroline demanded urgently _"wake up"_

 _"Calm down, Blondie"_ Damon said, jestingly pushing Caroline away from him _"I'm awake!"_

 _"Another bad dream?"_ Caroline asked worried

" _Not really – just a confusing one"_ Damon answered

 _"How so?"_ Caroline asked

 _"I just think that I have a decision to make"_ Damon answered _"A pretty big one"_

" _Is there any way that I can help?"_ Caroline asked as she reached for Damon's hand

 _"I thought that you were made at me?"_ Damon asked jokingly

 _"Oh, there was no one in at home – so I'm stuck here so I might as well be useful – but I'm still pissed at you"_ Caroline answered

 _"Then why are you holding my hand?"_ Damon asked teasingly

 _"Bump to the head on the way over here?!"_ Caroline suggested with a smirk

Damon leant forward and planted his lips against Caroline's with a smile.

 _"So what can I do to help with this 'big decision'?"_ Caroline asked

 _"Oh, I think that you just made it a hell of a lot more difficult"_ Damon said as he picked up Caroline and placed her legs around his waist and carried her towards the staircase. Caroline giggled as they made their way up to Damon's bedroom and Damon let himself get lost in the moment, the memory of his pleading brother sifting from his memory as he did so –after all, that's what the spirit inside of Damon wanted and Damon did not have the will to fight. Damon didn't care if this wasn't true reality and he was needed at home – in all honest, in his mind, he was never going back.


	20. Chapter 20 - An Old Friend

Caroline tossed and turned in her sleep as Damon watched on amused. Ever since Damon had made a conscious decision about what he wanted - who he wanted - he had found that his mind ha become somewhat clearer and the presence that had been controlling him had abated for the time being.

Caroline's eyes flickered open as she turned over and looked at Damon.

" _Hey, what's up"_ Caroline asked blearily

 _"Me, that's what's up - who wouldn't be when you're making that much fuss!"_ Damon said with a grin

 _"Smart ass"_ Caroline said, but she could not help grinning back

 _"Yep, that's me, but I'm your smart ass"_ Damon reached for Caroline's hand. His touch was warm and his hand strong and steady. Caroline could see the shadows that were still under Damon's eyes but he was not as deathly pale as he had been and she hadn't been woken by his screaming as she usually was.

 _"You're yourself again"_ Caroline beamed

 _"Yeah, it's taken a while but I kind of feel like a switch has been flipped and I've finally recharged"_ Damon answered

 _"I'm glad, I've been so worried about you"_ As she said it, Caroline had a realisation of just how true it was as she squeezed Damon's hand reassuringly.

 _"Good"_ Damon said solemnly _"Cause I kind of feel like bad stuff keeps trying to tear me away from everything I love_ "

 _"Nothing will ever take me away from you"_ Caroline said softly with a smile

 _"Good"_ Damon answered as Caroline leant her head against his strong muscular chest as Damon drew his arm around her _"Cause I'm kind of tired of the whole leaving thing"_ Damon kiss Caroline's forehead, murmuring against her skin.

Caroline and Damon lay there for what felt like a lifetime, not talking, just absorbing the silence that surrounded them. Damon finally found peace in his own head for the first time in weeks. It felt right to have Caroline here in his arms and he felt safe. Caroline took a small gasp of air as Damon's hands started to move, tracing the curve of her skin, first down her face and then down her pale neck.

 _"I'm glad that you're back"_ Caroline said softly

 _"It was because of you"_ Damon whispered back _"Because of how you've made me feel_ "

 _"You mean scared and freaked out_ " Caroline joked

 _"No"_ Damon said touching her face _"You made me feel alive again"_

Damon kissed Caroline deeply and passionately. The kiss started slow and sweet but it did not stay that way for long. As the kiss deepened, Damon's hands started to explore the contours of Caroline's body.

Damon took Caroline in his arms and then with his hands and his lips he blocked out the world, thinking only of Caroline. Her touch banished the ugly memories of the dreams that he had been having and soothed the hurt left inside by his loss of Elena - he would always miss Elena, but she was human, even when the curse wore off, she would be human and as he made love to Caroline he understood that he would have to say goodbye to Elena eventually.

Caroline felt Damon's tongue against the pulse of her neck and then a brief questioning touch of his teeth and Caroline shifted her body so that his lips pressed more firmly against her neck whilst she kissed the strong smooth grove of his shoulder as she also let her teeth peirce his skin at the same moment that he gently bit into her neck and with the warm sweet taste of his blood, pleasure filled her body. The bond between them felt like burning and consuming, almost painful in its intensity. They clung to each other, body against body as they felt the pounding of their hearts. Afterward. as tjey lay in each others arms, bodies still slick with sweat, Damon silently made his decision as he closed his eyes and smiled.

Damon swung his legs out of bed, walked towards the hand basin in the bathroom and splashed his face with cooled water. He looked in the mirror and smiled. The dark cirlces were gone and it no longer felt like an effort to walk from one side of the room to the other.

Damon jumped backwards as he was greeted by the familiar face of his best friend standing silently in the corner of the bathroom.

 _"Are you ready to come home now Damon?"_ Enzo asked forcefully.

Damon raised an eyebrow. _"Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say that things were interesting here_ ". His lips curved into a private sort of smile that made Enzo want to grab his shoulders and shake him.

Enzo sped towards Damon, his hand reasdy to strike, his fangs bared. Damon grabbed hus shoulders and flung him across the room.

" _Damon"_ Enzo said pleadingly

 _"Damon"_ Damlon mocked in a sing song voice _"not quite the big man now, are we Enzo? What happened to revenge at any cost - got to busy playing guitar and falling in love with witches?"_ he shook his head in disgust.

Something inside Enzo snapped as he pushed himself to his feet and ran towards Damon again, fangs bared. Enzo pushed Damon to the ground his fangs carving a long jagged cut along his jugular vein. He fell to the ground, blood drain from his neck, his eyes closing.

 _"If you wont come home willingly, I'll make you"_ Enzo said menacingky.

Damon shook his head and clutched his neck as the wound healed at superhuman speed. Blood still soaked his neck and chest and spatters covered the bathroom floor.

 _"You're done making the life and death decisions_ " Damon spat _"My mind is finally clear here, and I'm staying"_ He said sharply to Enzo

 _"Do you not wonder why your mind is all of a sudden so clear, Damon!"_ Enzo pleaded in a thick british accent

 _"What are you talking about?"_ Damon questioned suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

 _"The reason that you're so clear all of a sudden is because in the real world, what's left of the armory has you, and you're desiccating in a dark dungeon Damon - who knows how long that they'll keep you there"_ Enzo said urgently

 _"Go to hell"_ Damon said, meaning each word. As they words left his mouth, Damon lunged at Enzo, his eyes red and his fangs bared. He reached into Enzo's chest a gleam in his eye as he did so.

 _"This is the life that I never let myself have and I'm going to enjoy every second of it"_ Damon said as he pulled Enzo's heart from his chest and Enzo disappeared. Damon was somewhat relieved that his best friend was indeed a projection and that he had not really torn his heart from his chest.

Damon looked over at the counter of the bathroom and surveyed a note left for him that read simply :

 ** _The tomb at midnight tomorrow - decision time - Enzo_**

 ** _******HI GUYS, ANY REVIEWS WOULD BE GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED TO SEE HOW YOU'RE LIKING WHERE THE STORY IS GOING****_**


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